OUR BLOG

Posted on

1 November 2024

Dear Friends of Enlighten Education Co-op,

I’m happy to announce that I finished a 110 page curriculum for teaching the Bible in the public schools that meets the guidelines set by the courts regarding separation of church and state issues in that it has a secular purpose and neither promotes nor denigrates any particular religious world view. It is in three parts, one: A Survey of Comparative Religions; two: A Survey of the Old Testament, and three: A Survey of the New Testament. 

I attach it here along with A Rationale for a Bible Curriculum.

Please give me feedback on this material and also my proposed strategy of putting it into the public domain. In other words, I think we should make it free to any school districts that want to use it. Our organization can promote the curriculum and charge consulting fees for helping districts implement it. I believe this is the best way to get the material before students in a timely way while leaving the door open for EEC to gain income on the consulting process.

Thanks for your continued encouragement. Please forward these two documents widely among friends and acquaintances, especially if they are connected to public education.

School superintendents can offer this material as elective courses or incorporate it into existing courses in history, literature, social studies, etc. I am available to any news organizations that may be interested in hearing more about this topic.

William Bronson MA, MTS, DMin
President, Enlighten Education Co-op, Inc. (EEC)
239 940 6080

ACLU Statement on First Amendment

Posted on

Teacher Assistant Program (TAP)

A Proposed Teacher Assistant Program (TAP) for Lee County Public Schools
June 2024 by William Bronson MA, MTS, DMin
Executive Summary

Due to staffing challenges in the public schools, there is a need for an innovative approach to meeting these challenges.

The Teacher Assistant Program (TAP) that follows is based on a small and brief pilot project partially implemented at The Success Academy in Fort Myers last year (2022 – 2023) by Enlighten Education Co-op, a 501c3. Participants included Oswaldo Russian, Chris Ruhnke, Margaret Morris and others. The program was intended to be provided free to the District but for various reasons had to be discontinued due to a shortfall in funding.

The vision was to access a rich pool of educational talent consisting of retired teachers and veterans in our area. It was determined that this talent pool could be activated by offering part time employment at $20- $25 per hour to retirees who would bring their experience and assistance to the aid of full-time teachers who requested such assistance.

In fact, current teachers would be encouraged to assist in the recruitment of their assistants by reaching out to their senior friends, neighbors, and relatives who would be interested in participating.

Currently the District has a volunteer program that could be expanded to include this new category of modestly paid staff of part time seniors who would fit in the space between the current paraprofessionals and regular teachers. They would be designated as TAs (teacher assistants senior) whose credentials would justify a $25/hr compensation. Another category would be TAj (teacher assistant junior) who might be younger persons who are contemplating or studying for a career in education. Finally, TAv would be drawn from retired or disabled veterans. Their targeted compensation would be about $20/hr. All TA would not receive the normal employment benefits considering that seniors may already have pensions and Medicare, etc.

This program would be a WIN, WIN, WIN. The students would receive more individual care. The teachers would receive much needed support. And the seniors would have a place to use their hard earned skills without the stress of full time employment.

For more information contact William Bronson at 239 940 6080 or willbronson7@gmail.com

Or visit our website at www.EnlightenEducationCo-op.org