SCHOLAR’S FORUM
Rhetoric Speed Arguments: Comic Books as Literature?
Teachers usually encourage students to prepare thoroughly for final exams so that when students arrive to class on exam day, they are ready to demonstrate their full knowledge of course material. However, this year’s seniors in Rhetoric 2 were told they could not prepare for their final exam. Instead, they showed up to class on exam day, chose a topic from a previously uncirculated list, had 45 minutes to write out a full argument fleshing out their position and supporting reasons, and then were graded on oral deliveries of these speed arguments along with their content.
All of the seniors passed with flying colors – a testament to their consistent growth as thinkers, writers, and speakers over the last two years as they have been challenged in humanities, rhetoric, and other aspects of academic life at Petra. This week, we share with you the three most stellar arguments, ending with senior Maddie Dunham.
Are comic books literature? On what level should we interact with them? Should we engage them as we do work of literature by authors like Steinbeck, Shakespeare, and Wordsworth?
Maddie Dunham, Senior
In our culture today, media and entertainment co-rule as king. Gone are the days when most of the population would pick up a book and take quiet time to read it. Now, many kids, teenagers, and adults constantly turn on their devices such as an ipad or laptop or phone and spend hours on games, Netflix, social media, etcetera. We live in a world that is based on entertainment.
This idea of entertainment is not just centered around screens, however. Magazines and modern books and activities have all been designed for the sole purpose of human enjoyment. And in catering to enjoyment, they have lost beauty and the standard rules that art and books must have. This brings us to a specific question. Since there are other forms of entertainment besides digital ones, do we classify comic books in the category of only entertainment? And if we do, does it fulfill the rules that are inherent to the world of literature, as they are books after all?
In this short presentation, I argue that they should not be considered literature. For this paper, I will argue that literature has specific characteristics that comic books simply do not align to.
Literature is beautiful in form, contains meaning below the surface of the story, and leaves the reader with a desire to contemplate and reflect on what they just read. First, I will explain a bit of how comic books are a part of our society and history and then explain why they do not fall under the category of literature.
As was stated in my introduction, our world lives on entertainment. Everyday, we constantly check our facebooks or emails, turn on our pop music, and binge watch Netflix for a few hours or so. We have become a generation that has not only lost the ability to communicate well with others, but to understand what the great arts and people of the past have given us to study. Books have turned from great works like The Space Trilogy or Lord of the Rings or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, to cringe-worthy books such as Fifty Shades of Grey or The Twilight Series or Divergent. These books were not written with beauty or meaning, they are only in existence to entertain its readers. This is an abuse of what it means to write books and good literature. Comic books also come into play here with its purpose of entertaining and bringing enjoyment to the reader.
So to begin, we must understand what literature is.
First, literature is beautiful in form. There have always been certain characteristics specific to the form of art we label books under. It must have structure, the storyline must make sense, there must be a heightened plot at some point in order to break up the monotony of a simple story. But there is a difference between books and literature. While some books may be considered literature, not all books can be. Literature is beautiful, not just through what is being said, but the way it is said. A good author will know how to use just the right word in order to make their sentence sound good, thus leading to good paragraphs and chapters, and eventually, a whole book. Comic books do fall under several rules regarding structure, but it’s mostly full of dialogue (sometimes crass or harsh) and doesn’t set a very beautiful picture of what occurs inside. So comic books fail when it comes to beautiful form or content.
Secondly, literature contains meaning that goes beyond the surface. For many good works of literature, they need to be read more than once in order for their full meaning to be conveyed. Some works of literature could probably never be fully explained. And this is beautiful because it contains mystery that so many books lack today. For example, if a person were to take a look at The Divine Comedy by Dante, they would know simply by the beauty and extravagance of the language that it would take years and maybe even a lifetime for someone to extract all the hidden meaning and connections inside the story. This is such an important role that literature has, to keep its readers constantly invested in the story and for its readers to ponder what it is they read. So many books today, including teen series and comic books, are very shallow and lead to no such type of contemplation or beauty.
Thirdly, and as was partially mentioned earlier, a main goal of literature is to leave its readers with the desire to understand it and ponder it. This comes not only from investigating the form, but the meaning that is hidden inside. Literature also teaches about history and politics of certain eras, virtues and what goodness looks likes, literature should teach rather than solely entertain.
Many people might argue that it is important for a person to just relax and be entertained sometimes. But not only does this misuse the capabilities we, as human beings, have to be able to understand great works of literature, it is a waste of the very valuable and limited time we have on this earth. Some people may also argue that comic books do have storylines and truth to them. I am not denying that comic books do not contain truth. Even if the superhero triumphs over the evil scientist, it’s not enough to convict a person of the beauty of such goodness.
Because we have defined literature and explained how changed our culture has become, we should be able to recognize by now that comic books do not fall under such a category. They are entertaining and may contain some redemptive themes, but they fall short of what our definition of literature is. Literature is beautiful in form, contains meaning below the surface of the story, and leaves the reader with a desire to contemplate and reflect on what they just read. So, please enjoy your comic books, if you have some. I don’t, but you don’t want to know how much time I spend on Netflix. But we must also understand that we have the capability and time and resources to read greater things that should not only entertain and bring us joy, but should cause us to reflect and grow us into the persons we are becoming.
Rhetoric Speed Arguments: Classical Computer Science? (Moody)
Teachers usually encourage students to prepare thoroughly for final exams so that when students arrive to class on exam day, they are ready to demonstrate their full knowledge of course material. However, this year’s seniors in Rhetoric 2 were told they could not prepare for their final exam. Instead, they showed up to class on exam day, chose a topic from a previously uncirculated list, had 45 minutes to write out a full argument fleshing out their position and supporting reasons, and then were graded on oral deliveries of these speed arguments along with their content.
All of the seniors passed with flying colors – a testament to their consistent growth as thinkers, writers, and speakers over the last two years as they have been challenged in humanities, rhetoric, and other aspects of academic life at Petra. This week, we share with you the three most stellar arguments, continuing with senior Logan Moody.
Should Petra continue to develop our computer science program, or does it represent a step away from the classical tradition, which seeks to educate the mind and heart, not prepare students for a trade?
Logan Moody, Senior
Within the past years, sales and production of electronic devices have skyrocketed, and the electronics industry has grown to be one of the world’s largest source of jobs, industry, and innovation. Despite the massive growth in the technology industry, this vast growing sector has raised many numerous questions of morality among traditional groups of people who are uncertain about the morality and integrity behind being involved with this shift away from traditional jobs of trade toward one of electronic programming, designing, and a virtual workspace. After all, if we are to invest in God’s heavenly city, then why even bother about keeping up with the city of man in its many developments?
In my paper, I will seek to address this issue and show how Christians and classical schools should not view this as a threat. For this reason, I will argue that Petra should continue to expand its computer science program because classical education can be integrated into this modern shift toward computer science without a compromise in morality, classical students have a much greater diversity to offer to the world of computer science than secularly trained students, and that we, as Christians, have a moral obligation to contribute, mold, and involve ourselves with the culture around us.
My objective in this paper is to show how computer science and technologically related jobs do not present themselves as a threat to the objective of classical education. To do this, I will point to the issues of morality and how they do not necessarily affect the individual as long as the person has moral obligations to not develop or contribute to immoral industries.
The objective of classical education is to teach students to be discerning and thoughtful about what they choose to do in their lives. This is a much greater perspective to give students than the common core taught in public schools, which only teaches students the same relative views and gives them no ways to discern morality. In relation to this, it can be hard to see how computer science could fit into this mold, as this area of education seems to be heavily infiltrated by secular culture.
What traditional and classical teachers tend to think of in respect to computer science is the shift of modernity toward virtual, separate worlds for the individual, and that the tech industry leads only to this. Although this can happen, and is not a good outcome of technology, computer science can also develop important and necessary skills that can give graduates a head start when they enter into college if they choose to pursue a degree related to computer science. Even if students do not choose to pursue a degree in this area, they can still use it to their benefit if, for example, they need to teach their parents how to better use their electronics, or simply to better understand computer science themselves. Also, computer science can be easily integrated into existing class structures with minimal disruption to the classical school.
Secondly, Classically trained students have a significantly greater diversity to offer the world of computer science than secularly trained students. For example, students who have been trained throughout their schooling years by the common core all have relatively the same beliefs, morals, and perspectives on life because this is the goal of the common core. With classical education, however, every emerging student has their own opportunity to reason and contribute in their own distinct way. With a degree in computer science, these rational and discerning students can have a far greater impact to the world of technology than students from public schools, and can go on to be very successful in this industry.
Lastly, as Christians, we have a moral obligation to immerse ourselves in culture around us as long as it does not impact our morality or steer us toward bad directions. In doing this, we help to ensure that the Christian worldview can still be shown in all aspects of culture, whether it be through books, magazines, or technology. Also, as Christians we have an obligation to do this. If the only people to contribute to the technology industry were secular, atheistic people, then the industry would rapidly abandon all aspects of God, or classical traditional values, as it is presently continuing to do.
Christians might disagree with me in saying that, even though we have a moral obligation to involve ourselves with the culture we live in, that teaching our children computer science in schools is still not necessary. After all, if they choose to pursue a degree in this field, they can still choose to do so in college? I would argue that, if we do not give classical students the option of being trained in computer science before college, then we are drastically reducing the chance of any of them choosing to pursue a degree in this field, simply because they have never been exposed to it, and likely have been discouraged from learning about it. Also, it makes it more difficult for students to pursue further education in this field if they have never experienced it before, and the students from public school programs will likely be more successful.
For these reasons, Petra should continue to expand its computer science program. Because computer science can be easily meshed into the classical education without a compromise in the objective of classical education, that classically trained Christians have more to offer than secularly-trained students, and that we, as Christians have a moral obligation to involve ourselves in and help to form the culture in which we live.
Rhetoric Speed Arguments: Classical Computer Science? (Nettik)
Teachers usually encourage students to prepare thoroughly for final exams so that when students arrive to class on exam day, they are ready to demonstrate their full knowledge of course material. However, this year’s seniors in Rhetoric 2 were told they could not prepare for their final exam. Instead, they showed up to class on exam day, chose a topic from a previously uncirculated list, had 45 minutes to write out a full argument fleshing out their position and supporting reasons, and then were graded on oral deliveries of these speed arguments along with their content.
All of the seniors passed with flying colors – a testament to their consistent growth as thinkers, writers, and speakers over the last two years as they have been challenged in humanities, rhetoric, and other aspects of academic life at Petra. This week, we share with you the three most stellar arguments, beginning with senior Alyx Nettik.
Should Petra continue to develop our computer science program, or does it represent a step away from the classical tradition, which seeks to educate the mind and heart, not prepare students for a trade?
Alyx Nettik, Senior
Classical education is a style of teaching that has dated back for centuries. The methods of ancient Greek philosophers can especially be noted. These styles seek to expand the mind and heart towards the knowledge of the world. However, over the years, the method of learning has changed. More modern teaching has to do with trade. Students essentially go to high school to prepare for college. In fact, one of the central focuses of junior and senior year are deciding a field and selecting the best possible college for said field. Among these, computer science is a prominent one.
In recent years, Petra expanded and inserted a computer programming class into the sophomore curriculum. A second class is available as an elective for juniors who want to go further. However, this seems to contradict the mission statement of Petra. This school prides itself on developing the hearts and minds of the students, and it seems to be a popular assumption today that computers close the mind and isolate a person from reality. So the question arises: under these circumstances, should Petra continue to develop the computer science program? I argue that Petra should continue to teach computer programming as it opens the mind towards new skills, and further prepares students for life after high school.
Before I proceed, I must clarify that this argument is for Petra Academy alone. Circumstances may differ at other classical schools, and these situations may not apply to my argument.
The digital age is upon us. Job openings for computer programmers and engineers is on the rise. Ever since Alan Turing developed the fundamentals for the first computer, the realm of computer science has taken off as a genuine field of study. Degrees such as computer science and computer engineering make it possible for a person to devote their life to this kind of study.
First, I must argue for the importance of computer science as a field. The fruits of this department can be found everywhere. Computers and modern automobiles are only a couple results of the hard work computer programmers and engineers. You know the smartphones that you carry around in your pockets? Well, these devices are physical proof of the accomplishment of the people in this field. Smartphones are basically a mini computer. They have a hard drive, memory, power supply, and many other components of a regular desktop or laptop.
Second, I argue that a computer science class is well within the bounds of the classical education program. In my years here at Petra, particularly in the humanities, I have learned the importance of having a critical mind and a heart guided by caritas. I have been given tools to prepare me for the world outside of high school. By including a computer science program, Petra is further enabling students to be prepared for the world ahead. Even if a student’s interest is not in the realm of technology, they will at least graduate with a basic knowledge of computer coding, something that many graduates do not have. For those who want to pursue a career in the field, they have been given a good start.
Finally, computer science provides a mental challenge that is similar to other subjects. Writing, reading, and speaking well takes work. Good speech takes practice, and coming up with valid arguments can sometimes be a pain to think of, but become easier with time. Similarly, students have to learn what code sequences perform certain functions, and have to make sure the program will function correctly.
Some may say that computer science is out of bounds for classical education, and that schools such as these are meant to focus on literature, reading, and writing. These are all very important. Students at Petra tend to graduate with excellent writing skills and a developed vocabulary. These tools, although basic, are very important. However, we live in a world in which the digital age has taken over. Knowledge of computers to some degree seems to be a given. By continuing the programming class, Petra is giving students tools that will help them in this technology filled society.
Others might argue that computers have a reputation to pull a student from reality. After all, kids spend hours in front of video games, completely oblivious to the outside world. Why would this be any different? This is a valid point. High schoolers all over the the world spend hours in front of the screen, refusing to interact with the outside world. I myself love stepping into the virtual reality from time to time. But I would like to point out that the video games themselves are the result of computer programmers who started out learning basic code – perhaps self taught, or maybe from a class like the one at Petra. Video games take hundreds of hours of code, graphic design, and voice acting to produce. It is a form of entertainment that would not be possible if there were not computer programmers and engineers.
In conclusion, the inclusion of the computer science class in Petra’s curriculum was a good choice. Not only does it allow students to learn a new skill that may be used down the road, it also acts as a launching point for those who want to pursue a career in the field. I myself want to go into computer engineering. Even though I was not able to participate in the class, I recognize its importance. It will enable students to go forth into the world with confidence, and allow them to pursue a field that is fast becoming the future of American industry.
An Open Letter to a School Choice Skeptic (Pt. 5)
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
If you’re still reading, let me again reiterate that my goal in writing hasn’t been to convince you to come to Petra or other schools like ours, but to encourage you to support the choice of others to do so. The goal is not to shut down good schools, but to provide parents with as many good educational options for their students as possible. You want this for your kids, I want this for mine, and I would guess that both of us are hopeful for everyone else’s kids as well.
So where do we go from here? My offer to grab coffee still stands, as I’m glad to interact and genuinely engage in the school choice discussion with you. Maybe you haven’t thought much about it and are looking for someone to listen and ask questions as you process. Maybe you have thought a lot about it and have ideas that you’d like to take for a test-drive without getting run off the road. I’d be up for either of those conversations.
Some Petra students sporting their National School Choice Week scarves.
The conversation I wouldn’t be up for is one that isn’t a conversation. As mentioned at the beginning of my letter, the narrative surrounding education seems to rarely allow for honest discussion between two people who want the best for their kids. Instead, we have allowed the debate to be hijacked by politicians on both sides of the aisle and a news media who delight in covering their reductionist talking points that don’t get at the complications beneath the considerations.
If National School Choice Week accomplishes anything each year, it brings up the questions of what parents’ goals are for their student(s) and their education, what those goals require in order to be met, and what options they have to meet them. Those are the conversations in which I’m interested – conversations about real options for parents and their students. Here’s a summary video created by EdChoice of four such possibilities:
One size does not fit all and there is no perfect school. These are two statements that, try as administrators might (and hate to admit), are truisms – obvious and accurate expressions not stating anything new. But what isn’t a truism is that the education of our kids has to stay the same – pedagogically, legislatively, financially – if we truly live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. For the sake of our children and our children’s children, let’s not cower to limits and fear.
Again, thanks for taking the time to read this letter. And thanks for seriously considering the possibilities of how education in America could work with more good choices for parents and the resources to support them.
Sincerely,
Craig Dunham
Headmaster
Petra Academy
An Open Letter to a School Choice Skeptic (Pt. 4)
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2016, about 50.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, with an additional 5.2 million students attending private elementary and secondary schools. The Home School Legal Defense Association reports that more than 2.3 million children – or 3 percent of the American student population – are educated in the home. That’s a total of just over 57 million PreK-12th grade students in our country, with families of 7.5 million of those having to pay twice – once as part of the subsidy for the education of the 50.4 million, and again for the education of their own kids.
But it’s more than just taxes and where they go that’s an issue in this debate. We should also talk about a number of other topics – class size, cost-effectiveness, and student success – characteristic of the school choice discussion.
I imagine your school is larger than Petra (we only have 215 K4-12th students), so between higher enrollment and accompanying federal, state, and local funding for it, your school may be able to provide more options in terms of class scheduling, electives, special needs programs, and athletic and arts opportunities. But with those options come larger class sizes to try to pay for them. The maximum class size allowed for Montana public schools is no more than 30 students per single grade classroom for middle school and high school. Ask any teacher and he or she will tell you that 30 kids is a lot for one teacher to handle, let alone teach.
In classrooms with enough space, I can make the argument that classes can reach a maximum of 18-20 and still function without detriment, but anything above this threshold is where key educational studies suggest class dynamics and instructional effectiveness devolve. What’s really interesting, though, is even with large class sizes, education at an average government school with larger class sizes is much more expensive than at an independent school with smaller class sizes. While I don’t know your school’s specific budget, the average annual spending per Montana public school student in 2014 was $11,017/student, which is roughly $4,000 more than what we charge parents per student per year at Petra. The difference, of course, is who’s paying for it – the government or the family.
Folks in Bozeman take pride in their schools, lauding them as the best government schools in the state; however, what often gets left out of the conversation is that Montana ranked 30th according to a national report released by Education Week in 2015 and was given a “C” average – the same as the one given our nation. Thus, in essence, Bozeman’s government schools are the best of the average. Of course, there are bright spots, like Montana’s Class of 2016 earning an ACT average composite score of 20.3, but our little class of eight Petra seniors last year earned a composite score of 28.0 – a 38% difference I wrote about back in September – which should make one wonder as to what more – not fewer – small, independent schools could accomplish if basic levels of funding (and the freedom for families to access and use them) were in place.
(Read the final section of Mr. Dunham’s letter.)
An Open Letter to a School Choice Skeptic (Pt. 3)
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
Despite my wishes to the contrary, classical education is not for everybody. Not every student can meet the basic standards of our curriculum, which is why we are sometimes (though very rarely) forced to deny or revoke admission. Colleges and universities – even those that are publicly funded – must make these same kinds of decisions to preserve the integrity of their courses of study.
Likewise, not all parents believe or want their children to learn about our Christian religious beliefs; however, because we’re the only K4-12th grade Christian school in the Gallatin Valley with open enrollment, non-believing families are welcome to enroll with us anyway. Several choose to do so because their kids are challenged to think at a level they had not experienced elsewhere, and they as a family feel cared for by our school staff and administration. From the first conversation with a family, we are clear and up front as to what we teach. Parents don’t have to believe or agree with any of it to enroll their kids at Petra; all we ask is they understand why we teach it and not seek to undermine the fact that we do.
Again, for the reasons just listed, our school is not for everyone, but neither is yours. Despite your administrator’s wishes to the contrary, progressive government education is an acquired taste for some, and a conscientious non-option for others. Not all parents want teachers forced to comply with the Department of Education’s Common Core curriculum, teaching their kids spelling without phonics or mathematics without memorizing basic math facts. Some parents are leery of their kids being taught subjects like literature or history apart from their overarching worldview (Christian or otherwise), and many think that redundant testing limits the measure of a student’s education to only that which is empirical at the expense of the evaluation of character and virtue that used to define education in this country 150 years ago.
Nor do these parents like the idea that a government school comes with government strings attached. Inherent to this concern is the reality that, though the majority of administration and teachers who might work with their students at your school are good and loving people, their hands are often tied by the system of which they are forced to be a part – curricularly, pedagogically, and spiritually. Teachers who claim faith – regardless of what it is – are forbidden to engage with students in a meaningful way, lest they be fired, which could be argued is an impeding of one’s freedom of speech. These are legitimate concerns, and while they may not be yours, they are others’.
(Read the next section of Mr. Dunham’s letter.)
An Open Letter to a School Choice Skeptic (Pt. 2)
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
For this reason, I’m not asking you to enroll your kids at Petra Academy (though I wouldn’t be a good Headmaster unless I offered to talk with you if you’re interested). But I am asking you to consider why those who do should have the same opportunity and support to send their kids to Petra that you have to send your kids to your school.
Despite the efforts to prolong the myth, education is not neutral; as a classical Christian school, Petra’s certainly isn’t, and as a government school, neither is your school. With curriculum, faculty, administration, and families all in the mix, there can simply be no question that the education provided by a school – any school – is going to be biased; the question for every parent is, “What is that bias and is that what I want for my kids?” If it is, great, but if not, a parent should be free to explore other options.
Fine, politicians and pundits say, but they’re not going to pay for them. In fact, parents who “opt out” of the government school system (as if ever given the choice to “opt in”) still have to support the school they’re leaving with their taxes in addition to paying for whatever “other” education they want. The argument, of course, goes that tax payer money cannot be used to fund religious schools, but any belief system – even and especially the one that ostensibly espouses non-belief – is a faith system itself with traditions, tenets, and trust in something. Whatever the object of that trust – whether secular humanism’s reverence of man or scientism’s adoration of the objective – there is as much faith present in your school as there is in mine.
In a society like our ours that aspires to pluralism, this is fine; however, educational funding should not be offered to one family while withheld from another under the false dichotomy of religious or non-religious schooling. If the state and federal governments insist on collecting taxes for the purpose of education, then fund all the parents instead of only some of the schools. Let the parents – not the politicians – decide where their kids would best learn and make it easier for them to get there.
Did you know that, according to the American Federation for Children, 70 percent of Americans support school choice, with support even higher among growing demographic groups such as Hispanic voters (76%) and millennial voters (75%)? In addition, did you know that choice improves all schools? In “A Win-Win Solution,” published by EdChoice in 2016, 31 of 33 studies show that student outcomes in traditional public schools improve where school choice is introduced.
Why is this last statistic the case? Because no one school can meet all the needs of each and every student; Petra can’t, and your school can’t, either, as evidenced by the fact that we have families from your school who come to ours (and at times, vice versa). This is not anyone’s fault, but it is everyone’s problem, the solving of which requires more – not fewer – options for families.
(Read the third section of Mr. Dunham’s letter.)
An Open Letter to a School Choice Skeptic (Pt. 1)
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
(Held every January, this week is National School Choice Week, which shines a spotlight on effective education options for every child. Independently planned by a diverse coalition of individuals, schools and organizations, NSCW features thousands of special events across the country. The Week is a nonpartisan and nonpolitical public awareness effort. Petra Academy acknowledges National School Choice Week – except for the dance, which is silly – and this letter from Mr. Dunham is part of that participation.)
Dear Sir or Madam,
We probably don’t know one another (though I’d be glad to amend that fact with a cup of coffee and a conversation), but I’m guessing a well-meaning friend forwarded this to you with the goal of starting, continuing, or finishing a discussion. While I don’t mean to meddle, it seems I already have, so in the absence of a proper introduction, perhaps we can follow the age-old advice of the parent/teacher conference: I won’t believe half of what I’ve heard about you if you won’t believe half of what you’ve heard about me.
I’m assuming you have kids of some sort – young ones, older ones, maybe even grandkids – and I’m assuming you love and care for them as deeply as I care for mine (four daughters, ages 18, 16, 14, and 13). Our love for our kids is what we share, followed closely by our sense of responsibility for them and their well being; thus, we have more in common as parents, adults, and human beings than the narrative concerning education often allows.
I know your kids are enrolled in a school, and I know there are reasons for your decision as to which, where, and why. Because no school is perfect, I’m sure there are things you like about your school and things you dislike about it; this is also true of most of the parents whose children attend Petra Academy, the school I lead. Because you’re involved, I hope you’ve taken the opportunity to voice your support of teachers and administration, as well as to offer your caring feedback, as both are invaluable (particularly when the former accompanies the latter).
While it can sometimes seem difficult to nail down what is right and wrong in the world, I know you believe there’s a difference between the two and want your kids to be able to tell the difference as well. I also know you want your kids to learn – the facts of math and the scientific method, truths from history, beauty in literature and languages, potential of computers and technology, joy in music, drama, and art, and competition in athletics – maybe because you (if you’re like me) don’t feel you learned enough about many of these when we were their ages.
Learning, of course, is what it’s all about, but not just learning that informs with knowledge; we want for our kids learning what transforms with wisdom how they see themselves, others, and the so-called “real” world. And, if we’re honest, we want the flavor of our children’s education to mirror our own vision of “the good life” because, let’s face it, we make choices not only out of what we know but out of what we love, just as our kids will.
(Read the second part of Mr. Dunham’s letter.)
MLK Day: Is It Enough?
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
Since today is MLK Day, it seems good – particularly in a state and town almost 90% Caucasian – to pause to reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s.
While a federal holiday, MLK Day does not seem all that big a deal here in Montana. True, Montana State University is canceling classes and their Diversity Awareness Office is sponsoring a reception and art display in King’s honor, but even Bozeman Public Schools are in class today with this calendar caveat: “With the approval of this calendar, the Board of Trustees, in commemoration of Martin Luther King Day (January 16, 2017), is directing that all teachers (K-5) and all social studies teachers (6-12) take action in the classroom to recognize and celebrate the principles for which Martin Luther King stood.”
As in previous years, Petra Academy is also in session today. Petra has never taken MLK Day off, and there’s rationale for that decision: a majority of parents (at least those not employed by the government) have to work anyway, and – for better or for worse – most students are probably not going to participate (with or without parents) in MLK receptions or services on their own when there are ski slopes and sledding hills in the vicinity. Thus, we have landed where Bozeman Public Schools has in leaving MLK Day to teachers to include as it makes sense within their curriculum and day. (Thankfully, because of presentations like the one 7th grade Humanities teacher Libby Kueneke gave to our entire Secondary at Lyceum last week, I think we do as good a job as anyone.)
But is it enough? I shared a few thoughts here last July lamenting the past summer’s spree of shootings and the continued racial tension in our country, but those were just words, just as anything we teach would be. And yet, because we still believe in words and the power they can hold, I find myself here again writing six months later, asking us to engage with our children today in discussing Dr. King and his work. God used this particular man (and others) to bring about needed change in our country, and our kids – especially our Montana kids – need to know and understand more about the awful and angry discrimination then and there in the South, so they can apply solutions to situations like the one happening in Whitefish here and now in the North.
One of my favorite Scriptural emphases to teach is the Christian foundation for racial reconciliation as lived out by the early Church in the book of Acts. One cannot read about the cross-cultural linguistic understanding given by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2 or the Apostles ensuring the care of both the Hellenist and Hebrew widows in Acts 6 or Peter and John witnessing the coming of the Spirit to the Gentiles in Samaria in Acts 8 or Peter’s vision and interaction with Cornelius and the Caesarian Gentiles in Acts 10 (to name just a few) without recognizing God’s heart for unity among his people. Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28-29 sum up how we in the Church are to view one another: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
As an heir according to the promise, Dr. King knew and built upon this Christian foundation of reconciliation; in fact, he would have had no message without it (it’s definitely there in King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, but for an even more pronounced biblical dependence, listen to “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” and try to imagine it having the same impact without its Scriptural references).
The point is this: it’s good to honor Dr. King with this day in January, and the best way we can do so is by honoring the Gospel he appealed to as the foundation of any freedom, equality, and unity we could have. Start with yourself and your kids, then reach out, befriend, and care for those who look different from you and see what God does.
It just may be enough.
Roles Change, Relationships Don’t Have To
Craig Dunham, Headmaster
Late last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with a Petra alumna on the tail end of her Christmas break home from college. Rachel and I talked for well over an hour, and I enjoyed learning more about her years at Petra (which were before mine), as well as her current studies at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
During our conversation and in the midst of several far-reaching topics, I asked Rachel when, from her perspective, a good time might be to begin having a Petra “homecoming” of sorts. As we tossed around the pros and cons of the different seasons of the year, she made a comment that struck me:
“We’d have to make sure to invite the teachers from those years. After all, they’re what make Petra, Petra.”
She’s right, of course. Rachel’s comment was a good reminder of the contributions of those who have taught before us, as well as of those who are here right now. Nevertheless (and as life goes), we anticipate more turnover than usual in our faculty – particularly in our elementary grades – next year, but it’s all for the best of reasons: family.
To keep you in the loop, I’d like to make you aware of the faculty vacancies coming and ask for your prayers and help to find the “best of the best” to fill them:
Melissa Denison, 4th Grade
Jennifer Skinner, 5th Grade
Ashley Schreibeis, Spanish
Three of our staff (4th grade teacher Melissa Denison, 5th grade teacher Jennifer Skinner, and 10th and 11th grade teacher Ashley Schreibeis) are expecting – Ashley in February, Jennifer in March, and Melissa in June – and planning to stay home with their babies once they are born. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get all three back when their kids are ready for Petra, but until then, we are excited for their news.
Katie Elder, 2nd Grade
Jean Snyder, 1st Grade
Second grade teacher Katie Elder will not be returning next year, as she and her family will be moving to Bend, OR, to be closer to family. And 1st grade teacher Jean Snyder will be retiring at the end of this year after 11 years at Petra to be a full-time grandmother. Both Katie and Jean have been anchors for us, and we’ll miss them.
There’s no question that these are all big changes that affect four grades – 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th – but all of them are legitimate ones for all the best of reasons. As I like to tell staff and families in the midst of transitions like this, roles change but relationships don’t have to; yes, such anticipated departures will be bittersweet, but that’s exactly how we want them to be (after all, who cries over a place and people you won’t be sad to leave?).
After talking with Elementary Principal Mark Christofferson (who is not pregnant, nor moving, nor retiring), we’ve posted our open position listings. If you know a teacher – preferably with classical Christian teaching experience – who might be interested in joining our faculty at an elementary level, please encourage them to apply for a position. We’re looking for the best of the best as we begin interviewing prospective staff in March, so spread the word and let us know of any candidates we should pursue.
And pray for these precious ladies – Melissa, Jennifer, Ashley, Katie, and Jean – as God lead them on a path somewhat different from ours, either for a time or indefinitely. Pray that God would provide comfort in the midst of the pending transitions, and that even now He would be preparing a place and people for them to love and enjoy as they have here. We’ll miss them, are grateful for their combined years of contribution to our school, and will wish them the best when it’s time to say, “shalom chaverim” – “peace…until we meet again.”