Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

November 2018 – Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School cut the Pledge of Allegiance from students’ daily routine. NCS president Lara Zelski claimed that abandoning the Pledge promoted “connectedness” among students. 

However, the change was not a welcome one among parents in the community, and many voiced their concern to school officials, causing leadership to reevaluate the decision and eventually bring the Pledge back. 

“It’s just fascinating,” culture analyst Janice Crouse observed, “to see how important it is – particularly for children – to have things that are routine rituals that they go through every day. And among these things is the Pledge of Allegiance.”

After the Pledge was taken out of the daily routine, parents spoke up and claimed the change was disrespectful to the nation and its history. Crouse agreed, also highlighting this as an example of how vociferous parents can exact change.

“I think parents can learn from this that they need to speak out, and they do need to know what's going on so that they can speak out,” said Crouse, author of Children at Risk. 

onenewsnow.com, 8/24/18