Local Phenomenon, Local Support

As far as we have been able to determine, Hamilton County, Tennessee, is the only community in the nation with an asset like Bible in the Schools. The public schools in other communities may offer an occasional Bible course taught by a volunteer teacher. Some, like Oakland, California, offer periodic Released Time Bible classes, usually at the elementary school level. We know of no other school district, however, that offers its students a biblical educational opportunity of the scope provided by the Hamilton County Department of Education.

What are the aspects of our local program that make it unique?

First are the courses themselves. Five for-credit Bible History electives are offered in the middle and high schools of Hamilton County. Students in our middle schools may elect to take Genesis in the sixth grade, Exodus in the seventh grade, and the Life of Jesus in the eighth grade. High schools offer Old Testament Survey and New Testament Survey.

Second are the teachers who are employed, trained, and supervised by the Department of Education. Bible History teachers have the same qualifications, certifications, tenure, and other professional standards, requirements, and benefits as all other teachers in the district. In fact, we like to say that the Bible History teachers are super-certified. Not only do they meet the minimum state licensing requirements of all teachers, but Bible History teachers also are required to have completed 18 quarter hours (12 semester hours) of Bible courses as part of their college education. Currently there are thirteen such highly qualified Bible History teachers in the Hamilton County schools.

Third are the principals and administrators. Bible History is taught only in schools where the principals desire the courses and where the courses fit into the schools' curricula. In the fall of 2004, Bible History is offered in sixteen middle and high schools at the invitation of the principals and also with the full endorsement of the Board of Education, the superintendent, and school administrators. In fact, there are additional schools whose pending requests for Bible teachers can be filled only when funding is available. Three such schools - Brown Middle School, Red Bank High School, and East Ridge Middle School - are our highest priority. If funding were provided, these three schools would offer Bible History to their students almost immediately.

We have in our files three letters written in February 2004 from East Ridge Middle School that are indicative of the local demand for biblical education. The principal writes:

As principal of East Ridge Middle School I am requesting the opportunity to begin the program of Bible in the Schools here in our school.

As educators, the teachers and I feel that our students could benefit from the study of the Bible as it relates to the origins of the cultures in the Middle East. Since this area of the world is constantly in the news and so much of the culture has its roots in the conflicts discussed in Biblical History, understanding as much as we can about this area would prepare our students to interpret the everyday happenings in world news.

I also feel that the study of the literature of the Bible would enhance our students' experience with varied types of prose and poetry. Literary scholars have praised the Psalms as some of the finest examples of ancient poetry ever written. Exposure to this Hebrew poetry will broaden the students' understanding of the mind of the ancients and help them to understand how some of these writings have influenced our present day literature and culture.

I respectfully request the opportunity to introduce the program of Bible in the Schools at East Ridge Middle School in the very near future.

The East Ridge Middle School assistant principal includes these words in his letter:

ERMS is a school in transition. A group less familiar with our cultural allusions to Bible history and literature is fast populating our school. As such, the lack of a program in Bible History is a flaw in our attempt to provide a well-rounded education for our students. When our students get to high school and college they will be less able to communicate their ideas or to understand the ideas of others with this deficiency.

The values taught in our culture are mirrored in the Bible. Our school attempts to teach these values. It is understood that establishing an authority for values heightens their impact on the learner. The Bible is an established authority in our culture. That is, many people accept its teachings as being of great importance. Thus, our familiarizing the students of ERMS with the moral teachings of western civilization through the Bible can only have a positive impact on the development of our students.

I certainly hope that in the near future this program can be added to our school's course offerings. I know that there is great support for it among our faculty, students, and the community. The time is right for Bible History at ERMS.

The third letter is from the school's guidance counselor and states, in part,

As a teacher I have taught at Chattanooga High School, East Ridge High School, and Ooltewah Middle School, and all of these schools had very active Bible classes. I was able to see the influence these classes had on the overall school atmosphere as well as in the lives of my students. In addition I was privileged to serve as a substitute teacher in the Bible in the Schools program when Baird McClure was the supervisor and was able to see how the program functioned on all levels - elementary, middle, and high schools.

At East Ridge Middle School we need the Bible program to add diversity to our related arts program.

The fourth unique aspect of our local program is the diversity of students who reflect the changing cross section of the greater Chattanooga community. Just as the schools reflect the diversity of the population at large, so the Bible History classes attract the same diversity of student enrollees. Students represent various socio- economic backgrounds, ethnic origins, and religious traditions. It is estimated that approximately half of the students receive no other biblical education than what is provided by Bible in the Schools. In schools where Bible History is offered, more than seventy percent of students will elect one or more Bible History courses prior to graduation. Your partnership with Bible in the Schools would enable other students to express such sentiments as this young man in one of our local schools: "Bible History is interesting. I had never picked up a Bible a day in my life. I just used to hear about people talking about it. It's a really good book in fact. Maybe the best."

Deprive more than 3,000 public school students each year of such an experience? Not if we can help it!

The fifth unique aspect is its private funding. No public (tax) dollars are used for payment of the Bible History teachers. Volunteer donors make the course offerings available to our students as a gift to the community. Funding comes from people and groups who appreciate our country's biblical heritage and who desire to enrich the next generation with the wisdom and knowledge of the Bible. The Public School Bible Study Committee (PSBSC) is a group of volunteers who give not only their own resources, but also their time in telling this incredible story to current and prospective donors. Sometimes referring to itself as Bible in the Schools, the PSBSC, a 501(c)(3) organization, gathers the tax-deductible donations and remits them to the Hamilton County Department of Education as full reimbursement for the salaries, benefits, and other related costs of the Bible History teachers. Broad community support is indicated by the sources of these funds, which include individuals (51%), foundations (33%), churches and businesses (15%), and other (1%). The budget for 2004-05 is $795,045 of which 85% will go directly to the classroom and 15% to administration and fund raising.

The sixth and final phenomenon associated with Bible in the Schools is the endorsement of a broad range of community leaders. Some of these leaders serve on the Board of Directors of the Public School Bible Study Committee. These are the twenty-three men and women who are responsible for providing this quality program and of securing and safeguarding the resources to make it happen. Equally impressive are the members of our Board of Reference, some of whom have previously served on the Board of Directors and all of whom have eagerly endorsed this community asset.

Yes, the citizens and schools of Hamilton County, Tennessee, are the beneficiaries of a local phenomenon with the broadest conceivable local support.