Is CAP Writing & Rhetoric secular- OK to order through Charter School?

[Nart]

I am homeschooling through a public charter school that pays for secular curriculum. When I looked at samples W&R looked secular, but when I was comparing prices it is listed as not secular on one website.  Anyone know if it is approved for use for public charter schools? 

Regardless, I plan on buying it. I am just figuring out if I purchase it through the charter school or not.

[BusyMom5]

IMO, no.  I try to use secular materials,  but one of my DDs is using W&R this year.  I dont think its preachy, but there are many Bible stories and verses.  They do include stories from other faiths as well, but I would consider it a Christian based curriculum.   The other CAP books I've looked at are very heavily Christian, too.

[Farrar]

Having looked at it as a secular user, I agree with the above. I think it's secular-friendly in that many secular users would be fine with the level of religion and it's a resource that I might suggest to some secular users with caveats. However, if I was in charge of deciding whether or not to approve it for public funds at a charter, I'd stamp it no, too religious.

[Targhee]

I agree with the above.  We generally only use secular materials.  W&R would not call it completely secular but I am happy to use it as it isn’t preachy or always referencing God’s hand and design in things.  I am Christian, but so many Christian materials are trite and overly simplistic in the way they weave God unto their materials.  This is more akin to the degree of Christian content you might have found in a public school text 75 years ago. Not much. Overtones,allusions, drawing on common culture, but not faith or doctrine.

[Sarah0000]

Our charter school paid for it. May as well try and if they say no you could just pay for it out of pocket at that time.

[MeaganS]

I agree that its probably at about the level of Christian as most public school materials 100 years ago. So riding the line, imo. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

Not totally secular, but not overbearing or preachy... probably right on the fence for most charters.

As a side note, if you *do* end up using it there is an ongoing thread in the K-8 Writing Workshop subforum to share the kids’ progress; I’d love to have more people join in! 

[Nart]

I decided to purchase Level 1 and Level 5 on my own. If I like the program I may try ordering the next levels through the school. 

[Nart]

On 10/8/2019 at 7:23 AM, Farrar said:

Having looked at it as a secular user, I agree with the above. I think it's secular-friendly in that many secular users would be fine with the level of religion and it's a resource that I might suggest to some secular users with caveats. However, if I was in charge of deciding whether or not to approve it for public funds at a charter, I'd stamp it no, too religious.

 

On 10/8/2019 at 7:26 AM, Targhee said:

I agree with the above.  We generally only use secular materials.  W&R would not call it completely secular but I am happy to use it as it isn’t preachy or always referencing God’s hand and design in things.  I am Christian, but so many Christian materials are trite and overly simplistic in the way they weave God unto their materials.  This is more akin to the degree of Christian content you might have found in a public school text 75 years ago. Not much. Overtones,allusions, drawing on common culture, but not faith or doctrine.

 

On 10/9/2019 at 7:56 AM, MeaganS said:

I agree that its probably at about the level of Christian as most public school materials 100 years ago. So riding the line, imo. 

 

I have been using W&R for a couple of weeks, and these posts are spot on.

Yesterday my 12-year old was doing an assignment on labeling paragraphs as parables, myths, ballads, history, or fairy tales. He read a paragraph that he realized was a parable from the Bible and asked me if the book was Christian. I asked him what he thought and he gave a couple of other examples where the book talks about sermons or has other examples from the Bible. He attended public school from K-5 and a Christian school for 6th grade. He then asked if I ordered the book through the Charter School because he knows only secular items. can be ordered (one of his brother's math books is not secular and I had previously explained to him I ordered it separately). He thought it made sense not to order through the school and then asked me to buy the next book. He really is enjoying W &R.