Politically Correct (?) School
 

School stirs backlash by dropping pledge
"Under God" - The Capitol Hill Elementary principal wanted an inclusive graduation
Thursday, June 12, 2008
KIMBERLY MELTON
The Oregonian
At Capitol Hill Elementary School in Southwest Portland, students recite "The Pledge of Allegiance" weekly. But for the fifth-grade graduation this year, officials at the school said they wanted to open the ceremony with something more inclusive for students and families who have different beliefs.

So Tuesday, kids began the program by singing the preamble to the Constitution -- something they learned during the school year.

But that decision and the explanation for the change angered a parent and incited a backlash.

"I know that for whatever reason some kids don't say 'under God,' " said Pam Wilson, Capitol Hill's second-year principal. "We felt there could be another way to honor our country -- the Constitution, 'Star-Spangled Banner,' 'America the Beautiful.' It would be a creative, clever way to honor our government."

One parent, Briana Reese, sent an e-mail to Wilson, requesting an explanation of the change. "Would any of you be able to tell me why this is, and why the Pledge might be offensive," she wrote. "Is this a school decision, or a district decision?"

Wilson, a 30-year employee of Portland Public Schools, said she made a mistake in hastily responding to Reese's e-mail.

In it, she said the pledge contained the words "under God" and that she wanted to be respectful of students and families who believe differently, such as those in the Muslim community. Though the ceremony has included the pledge in the past, Portland Public Schools has no requirement that students must say it at the graduation, district officials said.

"Let me be clear about this, I have some regrets," Wilson said Wednesday after the parent's complaint and her response got airing on television, radio and the blogosphere. "I get lots of e-mail. Parents are a priority. I look for parent e-mails first. I pull them out and respond. I was not tracking on how this could be a huge problem."

Wilson said she shouldn't have singled out the Muslim community and wasn't implying by her e-mail that Muslims don't believe in God.

"I don't believe that at all," she said. "It never entered my mind. . . . We are trying to work as a district to be authentically open, to be more conscious about our minority population. In the context of that, people are going to stumble."

About 30 percent of the school's enrollment is made up of minority students, she said, including some children from Africa who wear a hijab, a type of head scarf signifying the Muslim faith.

People of different religions or no religion have occasionally objected over the years to required recitation of the pledge in schools across the country because of its reference to God, but no one in this case objected at Capitol Hill, Wilson said.

She said she received another e-mail from Reese but hasn't spoken to her by phone. The Oregonian couldn't reach Reese for further comment.

Kimberly Melton: 503-294-5938; kimmelton@news.oregonian.com

That's why my kids aren't going to public school. No big shock.

My kids open every school day with a prayer at a Lutheran school. They don't care about offending "other religions" or being politically correct. They believe in the bible. Expensive but worth every penny.

Kudos to you both! I think it sucks that California has banned home schooling.

So she believes her mistake was in responding honestly instead of taking time to word the email spin more carefully?

Chuck, sounds like you've had a few converstations with educrats. Me too.

Personally have no issue with the omission.

My kids are Jewish. They do attend Religion classes/Temple etc...

The God referred to in the pledge is technically the same God.

However, it is my opinion that the reference to "God" is tied to or implies Christianity.

I say that because the ones who howl about this issue are primarily Christians.

In this country we have separation of Church and State.

My kids schools are funded with tax dollars collected by the State.

If you want your kids exposed to a particular religion then do as some of you have done and enroll them in a parochial school or as I have done enroll them in religion classes.

Flame suit on.

This country was based on the right to believe in any religion you want, but it was not built by atheism.

Take a look at a dollar bill or the preamble.

People have the right to believe what they want but not to infringe on the beliefs of others. For someone to say that we can't have prayer in school or say "under god" is not what our founding fathers intended at all.
Separation of church and state means that the state cannot interfere with the church, no matter what denomination, not that we can't have religion in government or schools.
Bleeding heart liberal judges have destroyed the intentions of what our founding fathers when they wrote the bill of writes.
It's all in the federalist papers.

Interseting history on the pledge:

http://history.vineyard.net/pledge.htm


"In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer."

Mine either.

We have Christmas and Easter too.

Under God was not part of the original pledge. It was added in 1954.

Founding fathers had nothing to do with it.

Very interesting.

home schooling is legal in CA. The opinion is being reheard so the decision is not binding.

What's wrong with singing the preamble instead of doing the pledge? Something wrong with the constitution (as opposed to the hacked/edited pledge of allegiance)?

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I know this is shocking, but "blessing" has honest-to-god secular meanings.

heh

I'm a ghast. :cool:

Blessings is capitalized in the preamble and rightly so. :D

The TC doesn't approve of ghasts.

ghasts have traction control? I thought that was banned this year.

thank you Teacher's Union, way to protect your turf

It is effectively banned to home school Todd, unless you happen to have a teaching credential.