Students in the Morgan Hill School District will still be
allowed to proclaim their allegiance to the United States on
Monday, despite an attempt to remove the patriotic promise from
public school students
’ daily routines.
Students in the Morgan Hill School District will still be allowed to proclaim their allegiance to the United States on Monday, despite an attempt to remove the patriotic promise from public school students’ daily routines.
“We were going to do it anyway, until someone above me tells me that I can’t allow it,” Jackson Elementary Principal Mike Crocker said Thursday. “That was my gut feeling. It’s just a part of our school culture; it’s what we do every morning. It’s routine: the teachers take roll, the birthday kids come on the intercom, students in every classroom stand and face the flag, and we all recite it together. That’s how we start our day.”
Tuesday, a federal appeals court stayed enforcement of its ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional when recited in public classrooms, pending an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The order to stay enforcement of the ruling was issued by Judge Alfred T. Goodwin in response to a request from the Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento. The daughter of the man whose suit led the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to find the pledge unconstitutional attends school there.
The stay issued Tuesday gives the school district 90 days to ask the Supreme Court to review the ruling.
If there had been no order to stay, public school students in nine western states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Washington – would have had to change their morning routines starting Monday. The court’s ruling would have banned the pledge, because of the phrase “under God,” from public schools.
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan said the district is waiting, along with other districts in the state, to see what will happen before issuing any district mandates.
“We have advised our principals, as always, if anyone has an issue with the flag salute they do not need to participate,” she said. “But that is nothing new. We will not be making any changes to our practices unless and until we get an advisory from the state.”
San Martin/Gwinn Principal P.J. Foehr said his school “is not making a big deal” of the issue.
“Obviously, we will follow whatever guidelines we are issued,” he said. “Right now, we say it as a school once a week, and teachers in the individual classrooms may have students say it daily … We had a one family last year that had a problem with it, but it hasn’t been a problem this year.”
Crocker said the Pledge of Allegiance will continue to be a part of the day for Jackson students.
“We have it (the pledge) written in three different places in the office,” Crocker said. “I don’t think our students ever even thought about any of the political stuff. Some of the older kids did mention it and wonder what would happen. I just told them that until I heard from my boss, we would continue to say it.”
Crocker said if the school had to change the routine, they would probably substitute patriotic songs for the pledge, as officials at many schools in the state have said they would.
“We would probably do the same,” he said. “Patriotism is a part of our school, so we would have to do something. We have a patriotic assembly once a year, around Memorial Day, and we really enjoy doing it. We gather and sing probably 15 patriotic songs.”
The Morgan Hill School Board and the City Council both begin meetings by saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Some students, like the adult population debating the issue, have strong feelings on the subject.
“I think people should be allowed to have their religion, but someone shouldn’t tell them what religion they should have,” El Toro fifth-grader Brendan said about the “under God” phrase. “I think you should be allowed to say it if you want, and if you don’t, don’t say it.
The Morgan Hill Board of Education does not have an official position on the issue, although individual trustees have their own opinions.
“It’s a tradition that I support,” said Board President Tom Kinoshita. “ I remember when it was changed (the phrase “under God” was added in 1954) … I think it (the unconstitutional ruling) will be overturned by the Supreme Court. School districts are being very careful. We don’t want to break the law.”
Kinoshita said if the Supreme Court did uphold the ruling, the district would comply. He said he thinks there are ways the students could still express their patriotism.
“Number one, I don’t think the Supreme Court will; it’s a very conservative court, but if they did, I think there’s a way to respect the ruling and still have the pledge,” he said. “There could be a silent piece and people could do their own thing there, whether it was to say ‘under God’ or just to be silent. I think you can leave it for people’s discretion.”
Gov. Gray Davis has predicted the nation’s highest court will nullify the appeal court’s ruling, saying “surely the Supreme Court will permit schoolchildren to invoke God’s name while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Crocker said the Jackson Elementary morning ritual is more than just a school event; it is more like a community event.
“Because of the way our intercom system is, the announcements are broadcast over the whole neighborhood and I’ve never had a complaint,” he said.
