The Daily Press (School’s religions policy revisited, Sep 12, 2006) reports that York County School Board revisited its 1988 policy “after members of the public complained in March that schools were going too far in distancing themselves from religion, removing references to religious holidays from school activities.” Not quite. I was at the meeting last night and the one in March. The parents complained about schools that were culturally cleansed of Christmas as well as the Communists did in the old Soviet Union. No exaggeration.
The School Superintendent, Steven Staples, response is a nice bureaucratic side step.
Staples revised the York policy on “Section 9.5.3 – Religious Instruction and Released Time.” He added to the original three paragraphs with excursions on “encouraging all students and staff members to be aware of the diversity of beliefs and respectful of each other’s religious and/or non-religious views.” And “in that spirit of respect, students and staff members may be excused from participating in activities that are contrary to their religious beliefs unless there are clear issues of compelling public interest that prevent it.” Wow, when would the school have such a compelling issue? But, it’s all a digression. One paragraph comes close to addressing the issue.
“This policy will not be interpreted or applied in such a manner as to inhibit or proscribe the traditional use of prayers, religious music, or religious objects or symbols in any secular program sponsored by the division, when such activity does not involve the promotion of a religion.”
Notice the limiting word ‘program’. Are bulletin boards, class parties, and teaching instruction included in the word ‘program’? What part of the school day and activities are not part of a secular program?
The issue isn’t religion in schools. The issue is official holidays and schools. No parent asked for the schools to teach ‘religion’. None. Every parent demanded the schools teach and recognize in full, historical, traditional, and unifying, official holidays. Christmas is an official U.S. and Virginia holiday.
Superintendent Staples used the Virginia School Board Association sample policy for religion. He should have used the Federal and Virginia Department of Education guidelines for holidays as the parents asked in March.
The School Board lawyer changed the first draft from “The division also recognizes that one of the educational responsibilities is to advance the students’ knowledge of the role that religion has played in the social, cultural and historical development of civilization to the “educational roles is to advance the students’ knowledge and appreciation of religious diversity. They’re dropping the educational view of the role religion has played for the political indoctrination of ‘diversity’. The lawyer said it was more in keeping with the court decisions.
The Superintendent and the lawyer said the case law is conflicting. Indeed it is, because courts have taken over from weak legislatures and executives since the former KKK Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black started imposing his will in 1947. Courts promote Constitutional ignorance to exercise tyrannical power. Like the first sentence of the York policy which says “In accordance with the mandate of the Constitution of the United States prohibiting the establishment of religion , it is the policy of this School Board that York County shall be neutral in matters of religion.” The Constitution says ‘Congress’ will not establish a religion. The York School Board isn’t Congress.
The parents want the School Board to set a policy that will follow Federal and State guidelines on holidays – not religion. The parents want the School Board to support the SOL that teaches students about traditional, historical holidays that unite Virginians.
This policy will be read again at a School Board meeting on Sep 25th for approval. Then, there will be implementing regulations written – if it is approved. The devil hides in these details. I encourage the voters to get the York School Board to fix the problem with a policy on holidays – and not the PC prose on religion. It’s just an artful dodge.
