Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
MindUp is a curriculum created by the Hawn Foundation and requires students to learn and practice mindfulness/meditation three times daily. Mindfulness is described as secular and is derived from Buddhist meditation. There have been very few unbiased studies done on “mindfulness” with children and no long-term studies completed with children. “Mindfulness” has been shown to affect some adults with PTSD, trauma based backgrounds, or other mental illnesses by causing anxiety, panic attacks, dissociation, flashbacks, and a few psychotic breaks. “Mindfulness” may potentially harm some students especially those with emotional issues. Furthermore, “mindfulness” is considered to be spiritual/religious by many individuals and numerous individuals practicing their own religion forbid them from participating in mindfulness.
This school year, my principal made Goldie Hawn's MindUp curriculum a mandatory part of our school day including the three sessions of mindfulness/meditation in my special education class.
I have PTSD and experience severe anxiety when participating in mindfulness/meditation. Because mindfulness is detrimental to my mental health, I have been involuntarily kicked out of my classroom and placed on forced sick leave for an unspecified amount of time. Now my students have no teacher and are being taught by substitutes. I worry about the safety and mental health of my students when they are required to participate in mindfulness without parental consent.
Mission Successful! Curriculum is being removed from the special Education classrooms.
Angela Draper
Special Education Teacher
For more information you can e-mail me at [email protected]
Please e-mail me at [email protected]
Link to Canada's youtube video petition to remove mindfulness from their classrooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQm_X-C1j1o
Link to Psychology Today article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/testing-prayer/201412/mindfulness-meditation-in-public-schools
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Updates
October 17, 2017
I am currently hearing from many other teachers and parents who are concerned about the impact of this mandatory curriculum. Post the link to this petition on your Facebook wall today. Send a direct email to the school board members demanding they review the MindUp policy immediately.
October 17, 2017
The momentum behind this petition proves that families are ready to push back against mandatory mindfulness in our local classrooms. Use the link below to email your school board representative and demand they respect our concerns immediately.
18 Comments
Students and staff should have the right to participate or refuse without any repercussions.
Why do they force this on captive audience school children? If we cannot even mention things like "God" or faith in general, how is this allowed? It is quite the double standard and it seems to force religionlike thoughts into a captive audience. Also I got through school just fine without this at all.
I am very opposed to mindfulness exercises in school, especially as a mandatory participation by all students. It is not fair or right for students who may oppose this do to their own families religious convictions.
This program does not belong in public school classrooms. Spiritual guidance should be led by spiritual advisors, not classroom teachers.
I’m signing, not because Angela is my beautiful wife and takes my breath away but because mindfulness is potentially dangerous to the health and well-being of her special ed kids in her classroom and because the school administration did not get parental consent to conduct this training on their kids.
They just implemented a program in my sons school in Ann called GoNoodle...it has mindfullness and Yoga in it...
It amazes me how education is supposed to fill the mind not empty it or waste time meditating/ it peace of mind is the goal of the school nothing gives peace like prayer after a relationship with the Lord Jesys Christ
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
MindUp is a curriculum created by the Hawn Foundation and requires students to learn and practice mindfulness/meditation three times daily. Mindfulness is described as secular and is derived from Buddhist meditation. There have been very few unbiased studies done on “mindfulness” with children and no long-term studies completed with children. “Mindfulness” has been shown to affect some adults with PTSD, trauma based backgrounds, or other mental illnesses by causing anxiety, panic attacks, dissociation, flashbacks, and a few psychotic breaks. “Mindfulness” may potentially harm some students especially those with emotional issues. Furthermore, “mindfulness” is considered to be spiritual/religious by many individuals and numerous individuals practicing their own religion forbid them from participating in mindfulness.
This school year, my principal made Goldie Hawn's MindUp curriculum a mandatory part of our school day including the three sessions of mindfulness/meditation in my special education class.
I have PTSD and experience severe anxiety when participating in mindfulness/meditation. Because mindfulness is detrimental to my mental health, I have been involuntarily kicked out of my classroom and placed on forced sick leave for an unspecified amount of time. Now my students have no teacher and are being taught by substitutes. I worry about the safety and mental health of my students when they are required to participate in mindfulness without parental consent.
Mission Successful! Curriculum is being removed from the special Education classrooms.
Angela Draper
Special Education Teacher
For more information you can e-mail me at [email protected]
Please e-mail me at [email protected]
Link to Canada's youtube video petition to remove mindfulness from their classrooms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQm_X-C1j1o
Link to Psychology Today article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/testing-prayer/201412/mindfulness-meditation-in-public-schools
Updates
October 17, 2017
I am currently hearing from many other teachers and parents who are concerned about the impact of this mandatory curriculum. Post the link to this petition on your Facebook wall today. Send a direct email to the school board members demanding they review the MindUp policy immediately.
October 17, 2017
The momentum behind this petition proves that families are ready to push back against mandatory mindfulness in our local classrooms. Use the link below to email your school board representative and demand they respect our concerns immediately.
18 Comments
I was taught that school was to learn the 4 R's. Since no single treaching technique works for all students, many different techniques must be used. If a social engineering technique is going to be used, it should be anticipated that this won't be beneficial for every student. I look forward to seeing a detailed evaluation of the concerns aired in this petition.
Students and staff should have the right to participate or refuse without any repercussions.
Why do they force this on captive audience school children? If we cannot even mention things like "God" or faith in general, how is this allowed? It is quite the double standard and it seems to force religionlike thoughts into a captive audience. Also I got through school just fine without this at all.
I am very opposed to mindfulness exercises in school, especially as a mandatory participation by all students. It is not fair or right for students who may oppose this do to their own families religious convictions.
This program does not belong in public school classrooms. Spiritual guidance should be led by spiritual advisors, not classroom teachers.
I’m signing, not because Angela is my beautiful wife and takes my breath away but because mindfulness is potentially dangerous to the health and well-being of her special ed kids in her classroom and because the school administration did not get parental consent to conduct this training on their kids.
They just implemented a program in my sons school in Ann called GoNoodle...it has mindfullness and Yoga in it...
It amazes me how education is supposed to fill the mind not empty it or waste time meditating/ it peace of mind is the goal of the school nothing gives peace like prayer after a relationship with the Lord Jesys Christ
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I was taught that school was to learn the 4 R's. Since no single treaching technique works for all students, many different techniques must be used. If a social engineering technique is going to be used, it should be anticipated that this won't be beneficial for every student. I look forward to seeing a detailed evaluation of the concerns aired in this petition.