Schools should form good citizens, and forming good citizens includes fostering patriotism. You form patriots by letting students see all that has been done and form their own judgments about what was just and good, what was unjust and evil. Trust them to make the right judgments. They will.
Author Archives: James Ernest
What’s most important in the school-board election?
Let Caledonia be a place where students learn not only how to make a living or go to college but also, especially, how to uphold life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, justice, the common good, equality, truth, diversity, popular sovereignty, and patriotism.
Why is patience necessary for a school board trustee?
I have been writing about the values listed in lank 6 of my platform. Today the fourth: patience. An older word for patience is longsuffering. It’s closely related to enduring, or persevering. A common phrase is “hanging in there.” The assumption underlying this word is that everything is not going to go well all theContinue reading “Why is patience necessary for a school board trustee?”
Are you just going to agree with the superintendent and other board members all the time?
Agreement is not a presupposition; it is a goal. Disagreement is not a negative unless it is the manifestation of entrenched hostility. When it is responsible and constructive, it should be a stage on the way to agreement.
In absentia
In case anyone wonders why the verba are even sparser here than usual these days, it’s because most of my meager time and energy for this sort of thing are going into my campaign website and Facebook page. That’s right, friends, I’m running for office. Please do have a look at those two places. [AsContinue reading “In absentia”
IAQ: How can I get you to block me?
I rarely block people. When I do, it is for these reasons.
My answers to the CEA questions
The Caledonia Education Association invited candidates for trustee on the board of education to appear in a video interview to respond to questions. They sent us their questions ahead of time so that we could think about our answers. I wrote up some notes to prepare. What I said to them in the video interviewContinue reading “My answers to the CEA questions”
Should we elect school board members who will protect Christianity?
Why the question about religion? Last Sunday and this Sunday, I am setting Sunday as a day to talk about how Christianity relates to the upcoming school board election. This is because in Caledonia, religion falls under the category of “elephant in the room.” Maybe we shouldn’t be talking about it. But we have toContinue reading “Should we elect school board members who will protect Christianity?”
What about school safety?
School safety is a serious concern these days because of the shocking school shootings that are too often in the news. A Wiki scorecard lists 68 incidents in the US in the 2000s, 230 in 2010s, and 74 so far in the 2020s. My first thought is that anything that might be done to reduceContinue reading “What about school safety?”
How does Christianity relate to school board?
I am, among other things, a Christian theologian. How do I think my Christian faith should affect what I do as a school-board trustee? You have a right to know. I’m writing this on Friday for posting on Sunday. Sunday is a day that many of us in West Michigan still regard as a differentContinue reading “How does Christianity relate to school board?”
Verba Sparsa 