People of Faith for Public Schools

10/16/2026

https://youtu.be/0LcJHyvYcC4?is=12d2V0fo9bWA_aJR

Must watch: Free through Election Day!

FREE ONLINE PREMIERE + LIVE PANEL — WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14About th...

10/16/2026

Thanks for the support, Baptist News! Let’s keep the momentum going - over 165 signers do far!

More than 125 North Carolina faith leaders joined together to urge the governor and legislature to reject a state budget provision guaranteeing public school students up to four hours per week of off-campus religious instruction. The release time for religious instruction policy was adopted in July....

10/15/2026

Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670), a Czech, was a bishop of the Unitas Fratrum (the Latin name for the worldwide Moravian Church). In his work, he promoted education for both boys and girls, as well as learning opportunities for impoverished children. He also developed teaching methods that were based on logical thinking rather than rote memorization, and he advocated for adapting teaching styles based on the developmental stage of the student. It took more than two centuries before his ideas on inclusive education were generally implemented in schools. He is now widely known as the father of modern education.

10/15/2026

Thank you for helping get the word out about our RTRI Sign-On Letter, !

Tracy Mandl: "The legislation would require North Carolina school districts to allow up to four hours per week for Release Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI). The letter claims this mandate violates the Constitution and raises other concerns about its potential effects on educational environments. Faith leaders stated that they 'do not support including religious instruction during the school day.'"

https://goodfaithmedia.org/north-carolina-clergy-call-on-governor-to-rescind-provision-allowing-for-religious-instruction-in-schools/

10/14/2026

Want to hear more? Check out the full YouTube video of our conversation @ https://youtu.be/UehtkYnZlK4?si=IGsB_4lZeGW_eNMA

10/13/2026

Join us TODAY for a Lunch & Learn Conversation about Family & Religion (Religious Liberty) as we learn how to take action and engage with the midterm election on November 3, 2026.

Bring your lunch and listen in for faith-focused, practical conversations!

10/12/2026

Election 2026 Resources

Election 2026 Resources Election Day 11-3-2026 Pastors for NC Children and People of Faith for Public Schools encourage everyone who is eligible to vote to make a plan to vote in the November 3, 2026 election....

Election 2026 Resources Election Day 11-3-2026 Pastors for NC Children and People of Faith for Public Schools encourage everyone who is eligible to vote to make a plan to vote in the November 3, 2026 election. Early voting in NC begins on October 15th. Find your sample ballot and poling location to....

10/12/2026

We stand with public schools, which means standing with public school children and their families. The three amendments on the NC ballot are worded in such a way that makes them sound like good ideas. Dig deeper, though, and learn how these amendments are bad news for public school families - and for North Carolina.

10/10/2026

All across the country, "a battle is brewing over the future of public education— At the center of the storm is LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based Christian organization that wants to pull public school students out of class during school hours for off-campus Bible instruction.

LifeWise Academy operates under a little-known 1952 Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson, which allows public school students to be released during school hours to attend religious instruction—provided it’s voluntary, privately funded, held off campus, and requires parental consent .

According to its website, LifeWise promises to “help your public school student grow in character with Bible education during school hours,” claiming the program increases student attendance and decreases suspensions . The organization has expanded rapidly, now serving nearly 100,000 students across 1,100 schools in 34 states .

LifeWise personnel are not subject to the same rigorous background checks as public school employees . Public schools typically require FBI and state background checks for all staff, but LifeWise operates under different standards.

The curriculum itself has raised eyebrows beyond just the question of religion in schools. LifeWise uses “The Gospel Project,” a curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. But the concerns go deeper than denominational differences. The curriculum has been described as presenting a literal interpretation of the Bible, teaching that there are only two genders and that LGBTQ+ identities represent a “rejection of God”.

Critics fear this is only the beginning. “First you get on the school board. Then you create a program that pulls kids out of school and into churches. Then you have them alone, away from teachers and administrators. This isn’t about protecting children. It’s about controlling them,” said one Porterville resident."

Now is the time to become aware of this troubling trend that is sweeping the country and its affiliation with Christian nationalism, a dangerous ideology that twists the doctrine of most mainline Protestant faith traditions.

Ready to learn more? Check out the resources below!

https://pastorsforncchildren.org/2026/03/11/opposition-to-lifewise-academy-in-schools/

Article excerpted from: https://paulfloreswriter.wordpress.com/2026/09/02/the-battle-for-portervilles-students-inside-the-lifewise-academy-controversy/