A charter school in Atlanta has decided they will no longer start the school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
“We will not be including the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance each morning,” declared Lara Zelski, president of the elementary campus of the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School.
Madame President said the pledge was given the heave-ho so they could start the school day as a fully inclusive and connected community, AJC.com first reported.
Over the past couple of years it has become increasingly obvious that more and more of our community were choosing to not stand and/or recite the pledge,” she wrote on the school’s website. “There are many emotions around this and we want everyone in our school family to start their day in a positive manner.”
What could be more positive than affirming that we live in a free nation? And why are first graders allowed to disrespect Old Glory?
This is a grade school, not the National Football League.
The teachers could’ve used the pledge as a teachable moment – explaining what the flag stands for — one nation under God – liberty and justice for all. Those are pretty inclusive concepts.
But instead President Zelski announced the charter school will be writing its own pledge of allegiance focusing on — among other things – the international community.
“This pledge will focus on students’ civic responsibility to their school family, community, country and our global society,” she wrote.
I have a simple solution to this nonsense: the school needs to be informed that to be eligible for federal tax money they must reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance. No pledge, no cash.
Maybe the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School could ask the North Koreans or the Venezuelans for a hand out?