Here's a news story about another teacher's collision with the First Amendment. See what you think:
Teacher wouldn't pledge allegiance:
SEABROOK — Seabrook Middle School teacher Dianne Dunfey is suing the school district and Principal Stan Shupe for alleged retaliation for her refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dunfey, a Rye resident, claims that since the 2004 incident, Shupe and the district singled her out for disciplinary action and created a negative public controversy. She claims she was unfairly disciplined for leaving the building without signing out and mandated to submit lesson plans when no other teacher was required to do so.
Dunfey brought suit in federal court in Concord in May, and the case is scheduled for trial in October 2008. Dunfey declined comment Thursday at the school, where she teaches seventh-grade social studies.
In the suit, Dunfey claims her First Amendment rights were violated. She seeks relief against retaliatory interference in her teaching duties and compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees and costs...
Dunfey's choice to remain seated during the pledge was unpopular with parents, who complained to the Seabrook School Board...
The controversy began in the fall of 2004, when Shupe learned Dunfey and some students in her homeroom class remained seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. Shupe, according to Dunfey's court records, called each student one at a time into his office and "falsely accused the Plaintiff of attempting to persuade her students not to participate." Shupe denied that claim in court records.
Dunfey said at the time she did not instruct students to remain seated during the pledge.
At subsequent School Board meetings attended by parents upset by Dunfey's actions, members approved a policy urging respect for the U.S. flag. The board, Dunfey said in court records, "...was barred by law from taking disciplinary action against the Plaintiff for not participating in the Pledge of Allegiance."
Dunfey claims disparaging comments about her at these meetings and the board's expressed desire to take disciplinary action created a negative public controversy that made her fearful for her and her family's personal safety.
Dunfey never stated publicly why she chose to remain seated during the Pledge. "My position is I support federal law, state law and school policy," Dunfey said at the time. "The policy in print at Seabrook Middle School is participation is optional."
Dunfey has taught at the school since 1986. She alleged in the court complaint that in March Shupe told her she was being involuntarily transferred from teaching eighth-grade 20th-century American history to seventh-grade geography.
The suit lists numerous complaints against Shupe and the district...
"It was a culmination of all of the things, going back to a difference of opinion over the pledge issue," said Steven Sacks, a staff attorney with National Education Association, which filed the suit in Dunfey's behalf. "Or the principal's perception of Dianne somehow not setting the right example for these kids."
26 comments:
I personally don't see anything wrong with what this teacher was doing, based on what I am reading in this article. It doesn't seem like the teacher was really making a big spectacle of her personal decision to not stand up for the pledge during homeroom. Nor was she trying to convince her students to not stand up for the pledge. I don't think that it is quite right for administrators to force teachers to abandon their personal beliefs and rights due to their position as a teacher. Referencing the other article about the teacher who discussed her anti-war beliefs, I think that this case is much less a cause for concern because the teacher didn't say anything to the students to try to influence them to follow her and not stand for the Pledge. We all are entitled to act on our personal beliefs (given that they are practical) so I don't really understand what the big deal is. I'm afraid that the political cartoon at the top of the original post is right on if teachers are supposed to leave who they are as individuals "at the door."
I feel that the teacher's actions in this case would make more of an impact then words. She claims not to have said anything to the students but they are not blind and there had to be questions. The teacher not commenting on why she will not stand for the pledge is another action that goes against her. We say the pledge every morning why I am not sure but it is important to show the students that it is not meaning less. Students will follow their teachers actions like monkeys, so a good example should always be present. Also this article goes to show that adminstation is out to please parents not support teachers. Pleaseing the costumer was something I would see all too often working at menards. Which meant leaving employees out to dry. Parents are the costumers and adminstration wants to make them happy instead of supporting who they hire. Why should they care about teachers, they only influnce the students?
I have different view points on this matter. While being in the schools, I have noticed that students watch teachers and immitate everything they do throughout the school day. Going off of this article, I had a similar situation go on in one of my classrooms. In my first grade classroom, we had one student who refused to say the pledge. He stood up, but did not say anything. As teachers, we let it go. But, that was a student and this lady was a teacher.
Overall, I feel we are examples to the students from the moment we walk into the school till we leave the parking lot. I have seen teachers both go against the grain and teach controversial ideas and vice versa. I feel it is up to the teacher to decide if their own beliefs outweigh their love of teaching. In this situation, the teacher put her beliefs first. And personally, I don't know what I would do. I have very mixed opinions on this topic.
I agree with you sarah. I think as a teacher we do set the example. The pledge is about our country and we are all citizens of this country. Therefore, I believe we all should show support for it. I do realize some people are unhappy with the fact that "under god" is used. That's fine, but people can choose to remain silent during those words and not make a scene. It was interesting that you said sometimes we have to decide if our love for teaching outweights our own beliefs. I believe they should. Expecially in the lower elementary grades. Since I am doing PDS in a first grade classroom I realize how much they look up to me everyday. If i chose to sit for the pledge they would probaly follow my example. They would however have a hard time understanding my rational behind not standing up for it. I think this is a case that doesn't give students the opportunity to make their own decisions.
I have been in a 3rd grade classroom for my second phase. I can feel the students' eyes on me as we say the pledge every morning. There is one student who projects his voice while saying the pledge - I tend to notice him more than the other students. I wish I would have payed better attention to the other students. My teacher would not consistantly say the pledge with the class. Often times she was working on something at her desk and would not stand up. Other times, she would stand up but not actually say the words. I did notice this right away about her and it kind of bothered me. If the students are expected to stop their work to say the pledge, the teacher should do the same. It is as if she is saying her work is more important than showing her respect for our country. I don't think she was even aware she was actually doing (or not doing) this.
I definitely agree the teacher is a role model for students. As a teacher, I think it is important to be aware of your every action, which can be difficult to do. Sometimes we don't realize the impact our actions have on other people, especially on students. Becoming a teacher means we are in the public eye - which means we need to be cautious of our actions.
I have mixed feelings about this subject as well Sarah. I find it hard not to agree with all of you that we are role-models and they imitate our choices. I also agree that our actions speak louder than our words, whether that is intentional or not. Yet, are we really giving out students the chance to be individuals. For those of you who mentioned that your students would sit if you sit and they are standing because that it what is natural and what they are suppose to do, have you asked/talked to your students about why they are standing. What the “pledge” really is? I personally consider myself to be a very patriotic person and I love teaching but I would never enforce my students to stand, so why should we be mandated to? If students are solely standing because they are used to it and everyone else is standing than they really are not respecting the actual pledge. I think this is a very controversial issue in school and I think it always will be. I also question this teacher’s motive(s) for not standing. If she has been teaching at that particular school for two decades, has she always not stood? If not, why start now? If always has had these beliefs than why the issue from the administration now? I’m not sure what I would do if I was a fellow teacher in her building but I think I would support her decision and her first amendment.
As with many people I am mixed on the views of this issue. I participate in the pledge everyday it is said and I believe in this country. Also all of my students participate in the pledge. I know this is a controversial issue since "under God" is used and it puts teachers in an interesting position. If we don't stand it seems to mean that we don't support, but then if we do, and do not want to, are we forgeting our own beliefs.
Many times teachers do leave thier beliefs at the door and try to be not biased. I know many of my high school teachers would not say what thier poltical beliefs were because they knew that it could possibly influence thier students and they wanted us to form our own beliefs. How do you do that with the pledge? Do you stand or not? Do you say it or remian silent? You could explain why we say the pledge and allow students to make thier own decision, but how much of thier decision is influenced by their peers and teachers? I think any controversial issue that comes up a teacher is looked to as a role model and we have to be aware of that and make our decisions accordingly.
I think this article highlights two dilemmas that as teachers we will have to deal with all the time – how much of our freedom and personal beliefs are we willing to leave at the door when we enter the classroom and what does it mean to be a good role model for our students? Some people commented on how young students often do whatever their teachers do, so as teachers maybe we should stand and say the pledge to set a good example of supporting our country even if that is not what we believe. While I can see their point of view, I am wary of totally putting aside our own beliefs to set a good example. I also question whether not standing up for what you believe is actually setting a good example. If we want to be teachers who show students multiple perspectives so they can form their own beliefs, doesn’t it follow that we should also encourage students to act on their beliefs? If so, we need to be role models for how to act on our personal beliefs in a peaceful way. Not standing for the pledge, in my opinion, is a perfectly peaceful way to show one’s beliefs. It does not harm anyone else or anything; it simply makes a statement.
I personally do not believe this teacher did anything wrong. Yes, she made a strong statement, one that seems to have had some influence on her students, but why does that have to be a bad thing? It seems that in our society it is not very acceptable to believe something strongly and act on it when it is something that goes against the grain. It is only okay to do so when it is something the majority, or at least the media, also feels strongly about in the same way. I believe it is acceptable for anyone who has a strong belief about something and a desire to act peacefully on that belief to do so. Isn’t that what our country is supposedly all about?
I understand that as teachers we do hold a great deal of responsibility because we have a profound impact on our students, but I don’t think that means we can never show our students that we too have beliefs we feel strongly about. If we are teaching our students everyone has their own perspective we should be able to put a bit of our own perspective in our teaching as long as we make sure to point out this is our own perspective.
Like many people who have posted, I too have mixed feelings on this issue. I was placed in a first grade classroom for my first phase of PDS. Everyday over the intercom, the principal would say, “Now please stand for the pledge.” My CT would stand and ask all of the students to stand as well and recite the pledge. As I looked around the room, I noticed all of the students staring at my CT and me to make sure we were standing and reciting the pledge along with them. As a future teacher, I feel that my students will look to me as a role model. I have found with primary students, they seem to “copy” things that their teachers do. Because of this, I believe that it is important to set a good example. This becomes complicated when your personal beliefs interfere with what society believes to be “right”. After reading this article, I feel that this teacher did not do anything wrong because she was standing up for what she believed in; however, if I were in her position, I think I would have stood for the pledge to set a good example for my students. I do not think this teacher should have been punished for not standing for the pledge, especially because it said in the school handbook that it was optional to participate.
My first grade CT told me that she once had a student who did not stand for the pledge. It was against this student’s religion to participate. My CT allowed for this student to remain seated during the pledge. I agree with allowing students to practice what their beliefs when it comes to participating in the Pledge of Allegiance; however, as a teacher we must decide if we want to set a good example for our students or stand up for what we believe in. I think it is a personal decision and teachers should not be punished for practicing their beliefs.
While reading through the comments since my last post I see that many people feel like me. However, something that Ashley said really struck me. Have teachers talked to their students about what the "pledge" really is? I think about it now and it is something that is just fit into my morning routine at Longfellow. But I do think it is important to talk about the pledge and what it really means. This changed my feelings about this topic. I feel, as Americans, we should all support our country. This is not to say that you should believe in everything it is doing. I feel that not standing up for the pledge is unpatriotic. It has a completely different notation than participating in an antiwar walk. This shows you support peace and are unhappy with something the government is involved in. I feel by not standing up for the pledge you are sending your students a message that you really support what America is about as a whole. That you don't support what it really stands for. By supporting the pledge I feel you are acknowledging you appreciate the liberties America provides it citizens.
My opinion on this matter pretty much echoes everything that has been said previously. I think it is very important for every teacher to realize that students do look up to them as a model. This is especially true with the younger students. They have not "found themselves" yet and need adults to look to. If a student sees their teacher acting in a certain way, they are going to remember it and may copy it. Younger children are VERY impressionable and pick up on things that we may not think they will. If a teacher chooses to not stand for the pledge, I respect his/her decision because it is their right. However, I do think they need to keep in mind his/her students and their age level.
I also think that it is important teachers actually teach their students what "The Pledge of Allegiance" really is. To students, and probably to some other people, it is just a a bunch of words that they have memorized from childhood. However the actual meaning behind the words is probably not well known. In many, if not most, of our lessons we are constantly asking out students "Why?" in order to make sure they truly understand and comprehend a topic. We need to do the same to "The Pledge of Allegiance." We need to ask our students "Why?" so they know the meaning behind the words and the purpose of reciting it.
I personally have no issues with the teacher not wanting to stand and say the pledge. While I personally stand because I feel it is a way to demonstrate my allegience to this country, I do not mean that I don't support others' rights to choose not to stand or to have strong ties to other countries. In this teacher's case, she simply did not want to stand and pledge. That is her right. We teach that the whole basis behind our country is the freedom to choose and live how we so please as long as it does not harm others. The school's decision to punish the teacher for living that right seems wrong.
Furthermore, it makes me wonder, is there anything in the contract saying teachers must standa nd recite the pledge? If there is nothing stating this as a part of the job description that the teacher would have signed off on and agreed to, there really seems no basis for the school punishing her.
We talked a lot about this issue in class today, and the one thing that really struck me was when we were talking about how when the pledge comes on in the teacher's lounge, no one really stands or stops what they are doing. Why is the pledge something we only do in front of kids? And why is it rarely discussed? I understand that the main purpose is to promote patriotism, but can't we find better ways of doing that? I don't think that kids stand everyday and think about our country and their "allegiance" to it, but rather, go through the memorized and somewhat meaningless routine just because it's something that they do. Those ten seconds everyday are wasted, rather than put toward discussion.
When we talked about this during class someone brought up the questions about how long has she been doing this. Why is this the first time she's gotten in trouble for it? Was there ever a discussion with her class about why she stayed seated? All of these are valid points. I would also like to know what has happened since that article was written.
When we talked about this being a type of "show" or "front" for students, I can clearly see that being the case. At the elementary school I was in, my 5th graders had specials for the first 30-60 minutes each day. That's when the announcements were made along with the pledge. I would be walking around and the only time the adults participated in the building was when students were around. The front office didn't stop doing stuff, teachers would talk through it and so on.
I believe the pledge has become repetitive and students don't even know what they are saying. They go through the motions without questioning it. I believe that the teacher in this case should have been left alone or even prompted to have a discussion with the kids.
I've read what others have said about the younger grades, but she was in a 7th grade classroom, those students aren't looking to the teacher as a role model in the case of the pledge. They are old enough to think for themselves.
Just like many of you, I have mixed feelings about this issue. First of all, I do not see the teacher doing anything wrong. She has the right to stand or sit down during the pledge. However, it seems like nowadays us teachers have to be very careful in every move we make, because students, staff, and PARENTS may perceive something we do or say as different, and there will probably be consequences. And in this case, the teacher chose not to stand for the pledge and parents took the initiative to do something about this. But this brings up the whole thing of perspective. We do not know exactly what the teachers’ reasoning is in not standing for the pledge. It could be that she does not believe in God, she feels uncomfortable saying the pledge, or that she never really saw the point to it. These are just ideas, but the point here is that we all have the right to make decisions, but we as teachers have to be careful in every step we take. In the article, it mentioned that the pledge was optional, so why is this teacher being disciplined to sign out everyday and submit lesson plans when other teachers were not. I think it is unfair, and whenever a parent steps up and says something, administration is all over it and tends to take their word over a teacher’s word. Jason, you make a great point with your comments on how parents are the customers and how the administration tends to please the customers aka the parents, leaving the employees out left to dry. This is very true in this situation.
And in a way, I agree with many of you who said that the teacher should be a role model and stand for the pledge. I agree in the sense that every teacher is a role model. As future teachers, we know what it is like to have at least 15 students’ eyes on you for most of the day watching everything you do. As primary teachers, I think it is very crucial in demonstrating everything. At the intermediate level, the students’ tend to have independent skills and need some demonstration. I am with first grade right now and I noticed that many of you said that you either have the pledge said on the intercom or on the television. Well, in my first grade class, it is the teacher’s responsibility to say the pledge out loud with the students in the morning. My question is…what would you do as a teacher if you chose not to stand for the pledge (just like the teacher mentioned in this article), but your school does not have announcements or the pledge on the intercom or television? It is up to the teacher to lead the pledge or just not do the pledge at all? What would you do?
After talking about the pledge today in class, I wondered more about it. I was never taught who wrote it, when, why, where it came from, etc. So I googled it... this is what I learned:
The Pledge of Allegiance was written for the popular kid's magazine Youth's Companion by Christian Socialist author and Baptist minister Francis Bellamy on September 7, 1892. The owners of Youth's Companion were selling flags to schools, and approached Bellamy to write the Pledge for their advertising campaign. It was marketed as a way to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus arriving in the Americas and was first published on the following day.
Bellamy's original Pledge read as follows: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, and was seen by some as a call for national unity and wholeness after the divisive Civil War. The pledge was supposed to be quick and to the point. Bellamy designed it to be stated in 15 seconds. He had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided they were too controversial since many people still opposed equal rights for women and blacks. Bellamy said that the purpose of the pledge was to teach obedience to the state as a virtue (from wikipedia.com)
Wow. I don't know about you guys but this brought up many questions in my mind. 1. The pledge was made to honor Columbus, so those of us intending on teaching the whole truth about Columbus, do you intend to teach the whole truth about the pledge and it's implications? 2. The original draft of the pledge did not mention God. For something that is so controversial in public schools, why do we pledge to a nation under God everyday when we have to tiptoe over the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa issue? 3. The pledge was intended to promote unity after the divisive civil war... how did we do on that unity issue? Personally, I don’t think we did to well then, nor are we doing to well now.
4. And finally, Bellamy purposely left out the word equality because he knew that not everyone had equality in America. But did everyone have liberty and justice? Can you have liberty and justice without equality?
After close inspection of the pledge I cannot believe that we train our students to stand up and say this like robots every day without further exploration.
Wow, Sara! I cant believe what you found about the pledge. I have never even thought about looking up who wrote it or why. It is very interesting that one of the largest controversies around it deal with God and that wasn't even an issue at first. I also find it very interesting that it was done to honor Christopher Columbus.
I have changed my oppinion so many times on this topic and after our discussion in class today I realized there was alot more to think about with the pledge besides "being patriotic". We discussed how when we aren't in class many teacher don't stand for the pledge. I really had never looked at it that way. I realize the pledge is more ingraned in students than actually done because it means something. Not only are the students standing because its what they have become used to but they don't even know what the words mean or where is came from.
Greg also brought up the interesting fact that, though the message of the pledge is a nice thought, "with liberty and justice for all", this is far from the place we live in. I agree that if we are having our students say something everyday it should atleast be something true. I think an interesting activity would be to have your class examine the words and then change the words so they are more updated. I think it would be interesting to see what the students come up with.
I see why the issue is so big, because if she does not want to say the Pledge, she has a right to not do so. But, actions speak louder than words. When students see this teacher not standing for the pledge, what I want to know is how do the students react? How do the students see their teacher? Will these students begin following in the teacher's footsteps?
This teacher is in a powerful position, and I believe even though she does not believe in standing and saying the Pledge, she should still do it. I think this because her NOT doing it has caused so many issues with the school staff. I think the teacher sueing the school is over-reacting to the situation. It says she has been teaching since the 1980's. Has she never stood for the Pledge since then? Why would she sue the school now? Why do the staff care about her not standing now, as opposed to all the other years she has been teaching?
This is a very controversial issue that's been going on for a while. I feel that the teacher is just acting as an advocate to doing what she believes is right, which is truly respectable. In my elementary placement, the principal goes on the intercom every single day and says, "students please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance to honor this great country in this great school." The students then rise and they recite the words. They are just so prone to doing it and sometimes they have competitions as to who can say it the fastest, defeating the whole purpose of what the pledge is saying. My mentor has gone over what the words in the pledge means. They understand the definitons but I don't think they have a clear understanding of what it all actually means. Students need to know what they're saying and what it means to pledge allegiance to the flag. I, out of respect and being a role model, also stand for the pledge.
On the other hand, in my middle school placement my teacher makes all the students rise but does not make them say the pledge. My first day, I stood and I was the only one saying the pledge. I was so used to the elementary school routine that I just did it out of habit. It felt uncomfortable being the only one speaking and the students just looked at me. I really did not know what to do. I still stand but I do not recite it.
When I do have my own classroom, I will make sure to go over the meaning of the pledge and if students have reasons to say it, they can do that. Out of respect and being a good role model for students, I will probably say it with them.
I do not think that this teacher has done anything wrong. Everyone has their own personal beliefs and they should not be forced to go against what they believe in. However, as I am in the classroom with a 5th and a 7th grade class, I think that it would be important to have a conversation with the students about the meaning of the words in the pledge.
Neither of my mentors have had a talk with the students about the meaning behind the pledge. However, I have noticed that in the fifth grade classoroom I am in there IS a poster of the words to the pledge. Under each line of the pledge, there is the meaning in easier student friendly terms. I also know that not one student has ever questioned having to stand for the pledge in the morning. Just as we talked about in class, it has become almost robotic it is quite scary.
I was also thinking about how teachers react when there are no students around. For example, in the classrooms I am in, there are many times when we are not with the students because they are at specials or exploratories. As the pledge plays over the intercom during those times, my mentors and I do not stand. This makes me realize that the only reason I stand is for the students sake. I am a role model to them, and although I do not say the words, I stand in respect of other people that it is meaningful to.
Yeah that’s really impressive Sara. I have never even thought of looking it up online either. It has always just been one of those things that are apart of morning procedure. I have been aware of the controversy with the term God being in it, but never realized it was to honor Christopher Colombus.
After the discussion in class about the pledge, I have thought about how there is more to it than just being patriotic. The ideas brought up were very interesting. The fact that teachers encourage students to stand for the pledge, but when they are not in the classroom when the pledge is being said, they do not stand up or stop what they are doing and say the pledge. I had never realized that until the it was brought up in class. However, for those students do they know why they are really standing? For many of them it is just something that they have done since they started school and since the teacher has modeled that behavior, they follow it. Do these students really know why they are standing and the meaning behind the pledge?
I liked Greg’s point in class. I agree that we should support America, but to be saying something that we do not agree with and omitting the words that we do not agree with when saying the pledge, is just wrong. The next day at my school when we stood up to say the pledge, this discussion was in my head. I seriously thought about what I was saying because it has become something that has been memorized and you forget what you are saying. I realized that if we are going to be saying something every day and showing support to America, it should be something that is true and that we agree with.
However, even though we may not agree with the words in our pledge, i think we should still stand because it shows support to America and same goes for the National Anthem, which was also brought up in class.
Like I have previously said, it is something that is often into the morning procedure at a school. I know at Longfellow, some classes do not even say it because they never hear announcements so they do not hear that reminder to be saying the pledge. In my classroom, we may forget some days to say it, but we try to remember. We have never had a talk about it though. It was one of those things where the room manager leads us into the pledge and then we go on with our daily schedule.
We as adults may not agree with the words in the pledge, but do the kids really think about what they are saying? When they are first learning the pledge, is it discussed or are they told it is something we have to do? I am not sure how to get a conversation started on this because i think it would be a really in depth convesation with kids and what is a good age to do so? I feel it needs to be brought up because if they ever come across a student or a teacher who does not wish to stand or say the pledge they will not be confused as to why they feel one way or the other.
I like the idea of it meaning to show support to our country and the idea of peace. If this question was ever asked to me as a teacher, i would say i stand up to support and to show i do not agree with all the goverment is doing for certain issues, but i do not agree with some of the words that are being said. I do also feel like some others that if i were to not stand up for the pledge or for the national anthem, i would be showing an unpatriotic side of me that really is not a part of me.
I don't think there is anything wrong with what this teach is doing at all. She was not drawing unnecessary attention to herself, she was just standing up for what she believes in.
I shared the following comment in our class discussion..
In my middle school placement my teacher has planning time for the first 3 periods of the day. We are in the lounge at this time. In my elementary school classroom we make such a big deal of having all of our students say the Pledge. I say the Pledge. Yet, when I am in the middle school lounge every morning the thought never even crosses my mind that I should stand up and say the Pledge!
Why, then, so I tell my 2nd graders that they need to stand and say the pledge every morning? It is obviously not that important to me to say it.. nor does it mean enough fto any of the other teachers in the lounge every morning.
If we only feel the need to say the Pledge in front of children then what does it really mean to us?
After our discussion in class today, I really started thinking about the routine of saying the pledge of allegiance everyday in school. I really do not see the purpose in it. Young students do not even know what it is they are saying. My CT went through and defined all the words over a two week period and the kids made their own pledge of allegiance book, but even after all that, they still don't know what they're saying. Even if they know what individual words mean, they have no idea what they are saying when it is put altogether. I also think it is crazy how we have children saying the pledge who don't know what it means, when there are several high schools out there who do not say it. Why is it all of a sudden not necessary to do when you reach high school, but it is when you are six? Overall, I guess I really don't think anyone should be forced to say anything. I don't understand what the problem is if someone chooses to sit down rather than rattle off a pledge that means nothing to them. People who care about the pledge have their chance to stand up and say it, but I think it takes away our freedom of speech when we are forced to say things such as the Pledge of Allegiance.
I really like what everyone has been saying. I basically agree with what most of you are saying. As for the teacher in the article I really do not see anything wrong with what she is doing. As many of you have said, teachers do act as role models and students try to model and act like their teachers so if they do see their teacher sitting down during the pledge they are going to start to wonder which the correct thing to do each morning is? But people, whether it be administrators, parents, or colleagues should honor people's personal beliefs and rights.
Sara o. I really think that is cool that you looked up the pledge of allegiance on google. As I was stating above, I really enjoyed reading what everyone else has written and I agree with almost everything that has been said, but after our discussion in class on this topic, I started to develop questions of my own.
In class, I was sitting with someone and we were discussing how the pledge of allegiance became a routine for us just like we feel it has become for the students now. Then we briefly looked at each other and asked, "why do we say the pledge?" I mean it seems so obvious why we say it, but we were so caught up in the routine that all meaning behind this ritual was lost. I am actually kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I thought it was pretty interesting and went along perfectly with this discussion.
So going off of what I have just said, I think that teachers or someone should explain why the pledge is recited each morning. Because of this routine sometimes the meaning behind it can be lost. But I also think it is important to respect and honor each student’s views on this issue and allow for them to stay seated or leave the room during this discussion if it does not go along with their beliefs.
When we were discussing this topic in class last time, we quickly mentioned the national anthem. This made me think of my dad's favorite "joke". He asks, "What are the last two words in the national anthem?" People first think it's a trick question and ask about more verses, then usually sing through the whole song and say "the brave". My dad then laughs and says, "No, it's 'play ball'!"
When we talked about how people don't go home and recite the pledge, it made me think of how our national anthem is most frequently sung at sports venues (hence the "play ball" punchline of my dad's "joke"). If you turn on a baseball game and watch the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, there are people swinging their choice beverages in the air, munching on snacks, or simply not paying attention. I think if you aren't going to show respect for the anthem, you should not sing it at all.
I think the same idea goes for the Pledge of Allegiance. I think it's perfectly fine to not participate in the pledge, as long as you are being respectful of those participating. I liked how Sara O. described her students being "freakishly robotic" while saying the pledge. Even in fifth grade, the students still say the pledge in the same freakishly robotic way, and I almost think it would be better for them not to say it at all. I'm fairly certain that the students have no idea what they are pledging, and wouldn't miss not saying it every morning. I think if the pledge is going to be recited every day, students should understand what they are pledging, and why they are pledging it.
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