Media mention: Burke quoted on religion in schools
Kevin Burke, an associate professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, was recently quoted on how teachers are prepared to teach religion in schools.
According to a Deseret News article, educators can help reduce faith-based hate crimes by teaching students about America’s minority faith groups and the history of religious freedom laws. However, principals take the threat of lawsuits seriously, especially since school administrators have traditionally been trained to avoid risks.
As a result, many schools choose to avoid the topic altogether, said Burke. In fact, teacher education programs tend to approach faith through the lens of potential legal action. “To the degree that this sort of conversation happens in colleges of education, the limit of the conversation is what’s legal and what’s not,” he added.