Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/912628
The Pledge of Allegiance In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "the First Amendment prohibits public schools from forcing students to … say the Pledge of Allegiance." The words "under God" were added to the pledge by Congress in 1954. Several unsuccessful challenges to reciting "under God" have been made. Most schools in California encourage students to recite the pledge every morning but do not require it. In 1963, the Supreme Court out- lawed mandatory Bible study courses in schools, but ruled that schools may teach objectively about religion — as opposed to teaching religious indoc- trination — in history classes and "Bible as literature" classes. Under the federal Equal Access Act of 1984, public schools that allow extracurricular clubs must also allow extracurricular religious clubs, such as the one with the cookie controversy. In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled that public schools must allow outside religious groups to use their facilities during nonschool hours if they provide the same use to other organizations. President George W. Bush's con- troversial faith-based executive order allowed religious groups to apply for federal grant money for social or educational services in after-school programs. President Obama left the initiative in place, but made changes to prohibit discriminatory hiring prac- tices in these organizations. Science-based curriculum, with a caveat Early in this decade, schools in California and elsewhere sought to teach a doctrine called "intelligent design" that is a form of creationism. A series of lawsuits challenged the right of schools to do so, and today scientifically verified curriculum is the focus of the Next Generation Science Standards. Despite this focus, educators should always be respectful of students' rights and beliefs. In 2009, a teacher in Orange County was found to have violated the First Amendment when he spoke negatively about creationism to a student in his classroom who held strong religious beliefs. In June 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that a Missouri church preschool was entitled to a grant from a state program to improve its playground. The ruling found that denying funds to religious groups to be used for sec- ular purposes such as a playground violates the First Amendment's guar- antee of freedom of religion. Education experts, including analyst and author Diane Ravitch, have criti- cized the decision to force the public to pay for religious schools, saying it violates the Constitution and widens the opening to vouchers, which fun- nel public money to private schools, including private religious schools. This is something U.S. Education Sec- retary Betsy DeVos has set as a goal. Many schools today steer clear of religious holiday references, citing the "winter " break and avoiding references to religious celebrations, instead focusing on multiculturalism to be more inclusive of diverse popu- lations. It should be noted that faith-based organizations can be great allies to public schools, offering supplies, tutoring and mentorships for students. Some CTA chapters, such as Asso- ciated Pomona Teachers, engage in community outreach with faith-based organizations on a regular basis to promote socially progressive issues, including equity and providing ade- quate funding for public education. di scussion h ere, and it 's up to you to decide whatever you believe." Religions studied in order, not priority Under th e standard s, students b egin studying about religions and their impact on world and cultural history in middle school. Sixth-grade students study early humankind, and "analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures" of the civilizations of Mesopo- tamia, Egypt, Kush, the Ancient Hebrews, Greece, India, China and Rome. E x a m p l e s o f s t u d e n t s ' s t u d y o f Anci ent Hebre w reli gious str ucture s i n c l u d e d e s c r i b i n g " t h e o r i g i n s a n d s i g n i f i c a n c e o f Ju d a i s m a s t h e f i r s t monotheistic religion based on the con- cept of one God who sets down moral laws for humanity " and " how the ideas of the Hebrew traditions are ref lected in the moral and ethical traditions of Western civilization" (standard 6.3). Students may be asked to "explain the major beliefs and practices of Brahman- ism in India and how they evolved into early Hinduism," and they may study "the life and moral teachings of Buddha and how Buddhism spread in India, Ceylon, and Central Asia" (standard 6.5). During the study of the Roman Repub- lic, the HSS standards call for students to "note the origins of Christianity" Ayisha Benham sends a letter to her students' parents explaining what she will be teaching, to prevent "misconceptions." 53 D E C E M B E R 2 017 / J A N U A R Y 2 018