Leaders of churches and other houses of worship are meeting Thursday with Fulton County Superintendent Robert Avossa, school board members and other education leaders for the district's third annual faith summit.
The aim of the meeting is to create partnerships between schools and the faith community to find ways religious leaders can help students. The faith summit is being held at Stonecreek Church, 13540 Highway 9 North in Milton.
A growing number of religious groups are partnering with at-risk and other schools throughout metro Atlanta, giving them money and other resources to help boost student achievement.
While supporters of the practice say schools need the extra help, some have questioned whether public schools and religious groups can work together without infringing on the spiritual beliefs of students or staff or violating the First Amendment, which prohibits the government establishment of religion.
Avossa says the partnerships between schools and houses of worship have been beneficial for students.
“Our faith houses – churches, synagogues and others, for example – offer unique ways to reach families within our community. They often can break the barriers that our teachers or adults in the schools can’t,” Avossa said in a released statement.
“It’s a natural connection for us to come together with our faith leaders and explore how we can work together to help students. By the time we leave, I expect that we’ll have some new ideas to explore.”
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