Teachers not standing for pledge

[Anonymous]

If you stand and say the pledge of allegiance every single day at work OP, then you can judge.

It's not the US is actually following the words in the pledge right now anyhow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine any other country teaching children to loathe their country. I’m SO tired of teachers disregarding the pledge. IF they stand still, there is no hand over heart, much less reciting the pledge. Sick of watching it day after day.


I emailed the governor and WJLA!
Hopefully they respond

this is your biggest concern with education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but I don't pledge any allegiance to a flag. And certainly not "under god."

I pledge for ethics, human rights, education, kindness, among other humanist values.

+1

[Anonymous]

The older I get, the weirder I find it that we make kids recite the pledge of allegiance. They don’t even understand it.

I always chose to stand for the pledge, mainly out of respect for those who have served and fought for freedom (vs. out of allegiance to our country). But I appreciated my teacher at the time engaging the class in debate on this topic and letting students share their own opinions. Ultimately while different kids chose to stand vs. sit, all agreed that we preferred to live in the kind of country where not standing up for the pledge is considered ok.

[Anonymous]

It is a weird practice. Leave the teachers alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine any other country teaching children to loathe their country. I’m SO tired of teachers disregarding the pledge. IF they stand still, there is no hand over heart, much less reciting the pledge. Sick of watching it day after day.


I emailed the governor and WJLA!
Hopefully they respond

You are stupid and likely a fascist. Not reciting the pledge is not equivalent to loathing your country. Did you go to college? No one is required to and frankly I'm sick of it. No other country makes kids do this. Where do you get off thinking you get to enforce this?

Of course no other country makes kids recite the US Pledge of Allegiance.
Seriously, if you think no other country has ever made kids do the equivalent, you have not studied any world history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This comes up all the time on this forum but anyway, there’s nothing you can do OP. It’s not a law. Nobody has to stand for the pledge. The students don’t. I’m a teacher and I don’t say the pledge. I happen to be standing usually since it happens at the beginning of class and I’m prepared to begin instruction but I don’t turn and face the flag and put my hand on my heart. It’s actually kind of creepy that people robotically do this.

Then why bother with someone reciting the pledge at all? Why don't you ask your administration to just stop doing it in the first place?
It's a shame that anyone finds taking a moment to reflect on the greatness of our country and show a little respect to it "creepy." This just shows how much people have come to take what we have in this country for granted. Perhaps when some more rights have been revoked and full authoritarianism has taken hold, you'll reconsider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, with your kids, do a home lesson on WV v Barnette. You can learn something, and explain to them how you tried to be patriotic by getting mad at the teachers and whiffed, because their right to not stand for the pledge is a good example of what makes the country great.

“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

If people can exercise their right to NOT participate in the pledge, they should do so in a manner that ensures those who DO are able to. As it is, even if a student wants to recite along or even just listen, they can't because they can't even hear it with everyone around them talking and not paying attention. The teacher should be setting a better example by at least standing or sitting still and being quiet. Should everyone ignore the national anthem, too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, with your kids, do a home lesson on WV v Barnette. You can learn something, and explain to them how you tried to be patriotic by getting mad at the teachers and whiffed, because their right to not stand for the pledge is a good example of what makes the country great.

“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

+1

I'm about to start a next career in public school teaching. I look forward to educating my students on their civil rights including the right not to salute the flag every morning like a fascist robot.

So all you people who find these acts fascist, you think our military service men and women are fascists? They take pride in saluting our flag - they don't just do it because they're forced to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I may be in the minority thinking it’s good for most kids to at least know it, the meaning behind it, and perhaps recite it (should they choose to) a few times at least. The pledge isn’t a bad thing.

But after a while the pledge becomes a mindless activity, where little if any thought is put into it. After grade 6, it really should not be part of the school day.

Wouldn’t it be better to teach older kids the meaning and the history behind it? Why have them do that before they have developed strong critical thinking skills?

Also it is a bad thing for a lot of people; it’s pure indoctrination/propaganda, and the part about god thrown in there during the red scare just makes it that much worse. The fact that we are putting so much emphasis on the pledge but so many American kids (and adults) don’t know the difference between Washington state and Washington DC really irks me. We have high standards for propaganda but low standards for actual education about the United States.

Really? Perhaps we shouldn't teach kids anything but the alphabet and basic math until they have strong critical thinking skills. And just how do we determine when a kid has strong enough critical thinking skills to be taught certain things? Don't you think they can evaluate something they learned when young once they're older? We do this all the time even as adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, with your kids, do a home lesson on WV v Barnette. You can learn something, and explain to them how you tried to be patriotic by getting mad at the teachers and whiffed, because their right to not stand for the pledge is a good example of what makes the country great.

“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

+1

I'm about to start a next career in public school teaching. I look forward to educating my students on their civil rights including the right not to salute the flag every morning like a fascist robot.

Thank you. We need more open minded teachers. I complained to elementary school admin twice about substitutes who would stop the class after the pledge and berate the students who didn't put their hands over their hearts and recite it. One of my kids would sit quietly. I think any teacher or sub who does this should be fired. I was going to file complaints if it happened again.

If the school is broadcasting it, it is logical to believe they expect teachers and students to be following along. Just like they expect them to be listening to and hearing the announcements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, with your kids, do a home lesson on WV v Barnette. You can learn something, and explain to them how you tried to be patriotic by getting mad at the teachers and whiffed, because their right to not stand for the pledge is a good example of what makes the country great.

“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”

+1

I'm about to start a next career in public school teaching. I look forward to educating my students on their civil rights including the right not to salute the flag every morning like a fascist robot.

Thank you. We need more open minded teachers. I complained to elementary school admin twice about substitutes who would stop the class after the pledge and berate the students who didn't put their hands over their hearts and recite it. One of my kids would sit quietly. I think any teacher or sub who does this should be fired. I was going to file complaints if it happened again.

It would serve everybody, untrained subs, especially, and the kids who may be subjected to them, if every school started with the pledge over the loudspeaker. It could be preceded by a statement with something to the effect of please join or remain standing respectfully for the pledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This comes up all the time on this forum but anyway, there’s nothing you can do OP. It’s not a law. Nobody has to stand for the pledge. The students don’t. I’m a teacher and I don’t say the pledge. I happen to be standing usually since it happens at the beginning of class and I’m prepared to begin instruction but I don’t turn and face the flag and put my hand on my heart. It’s actually kind of creepy that people robotically do this.

Then why bother with someone reciting the pledge at all? Why don't you ask your administration to just stop doing it in the first place?
It's a shame that anyone finds taking a moment to reflect on the greatness of our country and show a little respect to it "creepy." This just shows how much people have come to take what we have in this country for granted. Perhaps when some more rights have been revoked and full authoritarianism has taken hold, you'll reconsider.

Pretty sure talking to a flag isn’t going to help with that one.

[Anonymous]

I don't say the pledge. Neither does my school age child. I don't care if the teacher says it or not. They have other priorities, like teaching these kids.

Saying the same words every day doesn't make you a patriot. Your actions speak louder than words.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to tell everybody something truly scandalous. We've been enrolled in two private schools now.

Neither of them even broadcasts the Pledge of Allegiance, lets alone makes anyone say it.