Massachusetts School Issues Permission Slips for Pledge of Allegiance

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Massachusetts School Issues Permission Slips for Pledge of Allegiance
The principal of a public school
in Brookline, Mass., is asking parents to fill out permission slips before their children can participate in a weekly recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Gerardo Martinez, the principal of The Devotion School, informed parents that the school would begin reciting the pledge in January over the public address system.
Attached to the letter was a form that asked parents to check either: "Yes, my child will participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance" or "No, my child will not participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance."
"I urge you to have a conversation as a family to help your children understand why I will be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and to support them in feeling comfortable and confident in the decision on whether or not to participate," Martinez wrote in the letter.
The school also sent parents a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance along with a note that defined the words "under God" as meaning "there is one Supreme entity for every citizen."
School officials told Fox News Radio they are in the process of offering some sort of clarification about the school’s policy as well as the definition of the words "under God."
"It's actually not a permission slip," said Superintendent Bill Lupini, in an interview with Fox News Radio. "There's no intent this was a permission form."
Lupini said students will not be forced to recite the pledge, regardless of a parent's wishes.
"If a student's parent checked yes and the student chose to remain seated, no one was going to compel that student to stand and vice versa," he said.
As for the definition of "under God?"
"My sense is that particular reference will be removed when he (the principal) clarifies it," Lupini said.
Some parents took issue with the permission slips.
"It's uncomfortable," Judi Puritz Cook told the Local Wicked newspaper. "The pledge is a promise, and I've always taught my kids to think very carefully before making any promise. It's not a decision I want to make for them."
An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Boston also had some concerns about the situation.
Sarah Wunsch told the newspaper the permission slips were "really strange."
"It suggests that this is a decision for parents alone," she said, noting that children don't lose their right of expression once they walk into a school building.
Under state law, teachers are required to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of every school day. Those who fail to do so for at least two weeks could face fines of up to five dollars.
"It's never been enforced,” Lupini said. "We will not be fining anyone."


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/22...#ixzz18soiud6Z

[Jeanfromfillmore]

School sends home permission slips for Pledge of Allegiance
Updated: Thursday, 23 Dec 2010, 11:08 AM EST
Published : Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010, 6:40 AM EST
BROOKLINE (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A Brookline school is now saying permission slips won’t be necessary for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Edward Devotion School, which has not recited the Pledge of Allegiance in seven years, will say the Pledge over the school's intercom once a week beginning next month.
Gerardo Martinez, the school's principal, initially said the permission slips were sent to encourage parents to have a discussion with their kids about the Pledge.
The principal also says he sent this note out to parents just to let them know it was okay if they do not want their kids to participate.
Unfortunately for the principal, the thought of a permission slip to recite the Pledge set off a fire storm. Eventually the principal sent out a second note to parents explaining that it was not mandatory to sign the permission slips
It is state law for teachers to lead their classes in daily pledges at the start of school. Under Brookline school policy, the recitation may take place weekly, according to Martinez.
This is the original letter sent to parents earlier this week:
Dear Devotion Families,
Many of you are aware that Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 69, requires a flag to be displayed in each school classroom. This law also requires classes to be lead in a group recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Public Schools of Brookline policy provides that this recitation may take place weekly.
Additionally, as part of that Massachusetts History/Social Science frameworks and the Brookline Learning Expectations (BLE) there is a learning objective that students be able to "Demonstrate understanding that there are important American symbols by identifying ... the words of the Pledge of Allegiance."
In order to meet the state legal mandate for public schools and to support our learning expectations, I will, once a week, as part of my morning announcements, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Classroom teachers, as with any announcement, will bring the class to silence. Students and teachers may choose to stand and recite the pledge but are not legally required to do so.
Under our Constitution, neither teachers nor students can be mandated to participate in this exercise. This is each person's personal choice. I urge you to have a conversation as a family to help your children understand why I will be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and to support them in feeling comfortable and confident in the decision on whether or not to participate.
Whatever decision you and your child make will be fully respected. Please fill out the section below and return to your child's homeroom teacher. I anticipate that we will begin recitation of the Pledge after the New Year.
On a personal note, I am proud to be a first generation Cuban American and I appreciate the opportunities my family has found in our great nation.
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/...iance-20101222