Brookline Parents Need To Sign Off On Pledge Of Allegiance
BROOKLINE (CBS) -- The pledge of allegiance is causing a stir in one local school.
Devotion School in Brookline sent a letter home to parents informing parents the pledge would soon be recited weekly. It included a form for families to sign off on whether their children would participate.
WBZ News Radio's Bernice Corpuz reports.
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A weekly pledge is the district's policy.
"We had parents in some schools, including Devotion, raise the issue that it hadn't necessarily been happening on weekly basis in all schools," said Bill Lupini, the Superintendent of Schools in Brookline.
The letter led to questions and concerns. The principal, Gerardo Martinez, clarified the letter Wednesday saying, "Providing a response to this section is not mandatory; instead, it is hoped that you will engage in a conversation with your children. We respect your children's right to opt in or opt out."
WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports.
There is a state law requiring a daily recitation of the pledge, but the court has ruled students and teachers can't be forced to participate.
Brookline school officials say some have questioned the words "under God" in the pledge. Those words were "added" to the pledge in 1954.
