The Pledge and Prayer

The Pledge and Prayer

Have you heard the term, urban legend?  How about fake news?  Both of these terms refer to inaccurate information which has made its way into the mainstream culture typically through the internet or Facebook.  Let’s examine two inaccuracies in regard to public education.

Urban Legend #1:  The pledge of allegiance is no longer said in public schools.  The reality is that Wisconsin State Statute 118.06 requires every school board to display the U.S. flag and to offer recitation of the Pledge or singing of the National Anthem each day.  Here is the actual language:

(1) Every school board and the governing body of every private school shall cause the U.S. flag to be displayed in the schoolroom or from a flagstaff on each school ground during the school hours of each school day.

(2)   Every public school shall offer the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem in grades one to 12 each school day. Every private school shall offer the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem in grades one to 12 each school day unless the governing body of the private school determines that the requirement conflicts with the school’s religious doctrines. No pupil may be compelled, against the pupil’s objections or those of the pupil’s parents or guardian, to recite the pledge or to sing the anthem.

In the Tomah School District students recite the pledge from 4K through grade 12 every day of the school year.  Flags are flown at each building and each classroom also has a flag on display.  You may recall seeing our students reciting the pledge on WKBT thanks to a donation by Gerke Excavating, Inc. in previous years.

Urban Legend #2:  Students are not allowed to pray in school.  In a United States Department of Education document providing guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools it clearly states that “nothing in the Constitution . . . prohibits any public school student from voluntarily praying at any time before, during, or after the school day, and students may pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech. Students may also speak to, and attempt to persuade, their peers about religious topics just as they do with regard to political topics.”  In addition, specific examples are provided on applying the constitutional principles.  Here are some of those examples, right from the U.S. Department of Education guidance document:

a)      Students may pray when not engaged in school activities or instruction, subject to the same rules designed to prevent material disruption of the educational program that are applied to other privately initiated expressive activities. Among other things, students may read their Bibles, Torahs, Korans, or other scriptures; say grace before meals; and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, the lunch hour, or other non-instructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities.

b)      Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, and "see you at the pole" gatherings before school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other noncurricular student activities groups.

c)       Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious perspective of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school.

The limitations on religious expression in public school are really designed to ensure that public school officials  do not influence students in regard to a particular religion.   For example, "teachers and other public school officials, acting in their official capacities, may not lead their classes in prayer, devotional readings from the Bible, or other religious activities, nor may school officials use their authority to attempt to persuade or compel students to participate in prayer or other religious activities". 

To gain a deeper understanding of religious expression in school, check out this link which takes you directly to theU.S. Department of Education guidance document referenced: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html#return11.

In addition, the Tomah Area School District has policies aligned to the U.S. Department of Education principles.  Administrative Guideline 8800B, Religious Expression in the District can be accessed at https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/tasd/Board.nsf/Public?open&id=policies#.

This is a simply a reminder to be a wise consumer of information on the web.  Don’t believe everything you read!  Fake news about public education is out there! 

 

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