“Our class will say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. If you do not wish your child to participate in this, please send me a brief note. He/she can stand quietly during this time.”

This was my “brief note” (I cc’d the principal and BoE:

———
Dear Mrs. Singerman,

This note is regarding your First Grade News flyer sent home with Liam yesterday, specifically the paragraph regarding the Pledge of Allegiance.

I was very surprised to see that the students will have a daily recitation of the Pledge. As someone who attended Shaker schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade, I do not recall ever having such a requirement.

As non-believers, the problem our family faces is not that our son is forced to recite the Pledge. The problem is that due to our core beliefs he is *prevented* from reciting it.

Clearly, the language in the Pledge speaks to the majority, however it is exclusionary to those members of other religious communities or none at all, and as such effectively bars those outside the “Judeo-Christian” tradition from pledging allegiance to their country. The value of their citizenship, whether as Americans or simply of the classroom, is degraded. The Pledge therefore defines them as outside of the community, as people who cannot express their patriotism without violating their most profound beliefs.

Although a student’s option to “stand quietly during this time” certainly appears reasonable on the surface, I would ask you to please step back and consider this exclusion in light of the core American principles on which the Pledge is constructed. If we are truly to be “one nation, indivisible,” we must carefully consider the impact of our edicts on minorities. To do otherwise creates a religious requirement for loyalty and tells non-believers that they cannot be fully American.

Our history is one of broadening the definitions of Americanism and historically the Shaker Heights School System has been a pioneer in matters of integration and inclusion. I’m sure you can see how our ongoing commitment to the these principles is tested when we are dismissive of students who, though not like ourselves, share in the American experience.

——-
The result was, in place of the pledge, the class had a non-religious flag ceremony every morning. Voila!

Sometimes if you make enough sense, they have to listen.

Don’t let someone brainwash your kids, but don’t in turn brainwash them with your own agenda. If your kid makes a rational decision to explore faith based believes, it should be encouraged, or at least accepted. Despite what other commenters have said, your kid might not be the only non-Christian in the class. And you might be the only parent with the drive to do anything.
IMO it’s as big a leap of faith for someone to say there is no god as it is for someone to say there is a god.

Having lived in Texas, I fear that you won’t.

I would ask to sit in on occasion too. Knowing the teacher, having a religion bias like that she would not be likely to give each religion a fair shake. I personally am an atheist but I think if we are going to teach/practice religion in schools we should have a non-biased person come in for a week that does not subscribe to any religion and treat them all with the same respect. Tell kids about the worlds beliefs. It might help them to understand cultural differences. It might help kids who have not been forced into a religion to see whats there and if they want to take one up fine.

It might help Christians to understand why there is no place for it in schools when their kid comes home asking about shiva and buddha… Of course this would cause a public outcry from the Christians because they practice the only “true” religion and it’s not cool to have their kids learn about all the other “true” religions.

In all seriousness, this is what I would ask for first from the school. Find someone from a local college who is unbiased, well versed in religion and have them come spend a day talking to the kids and teachers.

I wish they would do this in school period, just cover them all so the kids can see that there are all of these people throughout the world that all believe different things while every one of them thinks their religion is the only one to have it “right”. I think it would be an eye opener for for the kids.

If the school can’t have an unbiased discussion about them all then they certainly can’t have someone practicing one now can they? If they refuse bring out the guns ACLU, lawyers, etc.