'Silence' law joins pledges in school
routine
03:45 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Martha Dickason's first-graders are a rambunctious bunch first
thing in the morning, laughing with friends and paging through colorful
readers.
But when the morning announcements come on, they transform into
perfect little citizens, reciting pledges to the American and Texas flags, then
bowing their heads and folding their hands for a moment of respectful silence.
"It calms them all down," Ms. Dickason said. "It
really gets them ready to start the day."
Cedar Hill's High Pointe Elementary, like some other schools in
Texas, has gone through this routine or something similar for years. At High
Pointe, it's been every day for more than 15 years.
But the minute of silence to "reflect, pray, meditate or
engage in any other silent activities" is new to most schools, and it was
one of the more divisive items that Gov. Rick Perry signed into law May 28.
Many of the bills became law Monday.
The Texas Education Agency released guidelines on enforcing the
pledge and minute of silence law to teachers and administrators this summer,
TEA spokeswoman Debbie Graves Ratcliffe said. But there have been points of
confusion, she said, such as whether students must be silent for the full 60
seconds (yes) and whether flags must be hung in classrooms (no).
But the agency did not make a recommendation for how teachers
should direct their students during the moment of silence, instead giving
discretion to individual districts.
"As far as we're concerned, it can vary from school to
school," TEA spokeswoman Suzanne Middlebrook said. "The students can
have closed eyes, open eyes, heads bowed or hands folded, as long as they are
complying with school rules."
|
LEGISLATURE'S
LEGACY: 67 EDUCATION BILLS |
|
|
Ms. Dickason instructs students to fold their hands and bow their
heads, mainly so they don't distract one another.
Some school districts implemented the policy on the first day of
school, although the law hadn't taken effect, to ease the transition. In
Duncanville, teachers were given flags to place in their classrooms before
school started Aug. 18, and they were asked to recite both pledges at the
superintendent's convocation.
Other districts, such as McKinney, gave schools the option to wait
until Tuesday to introduce the routine.
"It's important that we comply with the state's
expectations," said Gavan Goodrich, principal of Dowell Middle School.
"We'll make this part of our daily routine on the official start
date."
Mr. Goodrich said that in past years, Dowell students had not
regularly said either pledge. This is not uncommon, said Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, co-author of the
bill. He said that last year, about half the elementary students in Dallas
County said the pledge on a regular basis, and hardly any students said the
pledge to the Texas flag.
Under the law, all students must respect the minute of silence,
but they may be excused from participating in the pledges if they have a note
from their parents. Some teachers worry that they will face legal trouble if
students opt out of the pledge without parental permission.
"Students have their own independent right to constitutional
protection," said Pamela Parker, administrative attorney for the
Association of Texas Professional Educators. "We see a potential conflict,
because the Constitution allows students to opt out, but the state law says
they can't unless the parent agrees."
Mr. Branch said that he had
not heard these concerns and that since the bill was signed into law, he had
received positive feedback from parents and teachers.
"Teachers stop me at restaurants and say they are so happy
this is going on," he said. "And parents tell me they like the chance
to influence a minute of silence in their child's day, to have them focus on a
family ideal or value."
The only problem with the minute of silence clause, Ms. Parker
said, is that it allows the student to choose what to do during the silence –
even if it is something disruptive or distracting.
"It seems like a positive way to start the day, but in its
implementation, there will be situations where really tricky questions come
up," Ms. Parker said. "I hope the districts will sit down and think
about potential scenarios, so they can give some direction to teachers."
But at schools where the routine has been in effect since August,
teachers say the students' reaction has been far from disruptive – it has been
apathetic.
"They are completely and totally placid," said Joel
Rosenzweig, a social studies and theater arts teacher at Lake Highlands High
School in Richardson. "It's a nonissue for them, and it's one more minute
no longer dedicated to instruction."
To Cedar Hill Superintendent Jim Gibson, the hubbub over the new
law seems to be an overreaction. Moments of silence in the classroom are
nothing new or unusual, he said.
"There are already lots of moments of silence in school –
when students are reading and when they're taking a test," he said.
"It's an extra time to reflect, and it gives an opportunity to those
children who take advantage of it."