Schools may again require moment of silence

[The Straight Story]

Schools may again require moment of silence


Illinois education officials on Friday alerted schools that the federal injunction banning a mandatory moment of silence had been lifted, opening the door for schoolchildren to again begin the class day with a period of silent prayer or reflection.

"This action means the (Silent Reflection and Student Prayer) Act is now in effect," read part of a message that the Illinois State Board of Education sent to school principals and district superintendents.

Tuesday is the soonest that schools could begin the observance because classes are canceled Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday.
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Several superintendents said they planned to reinstate the period of reflection as soon as the injunction was lifted, essentially dusting off the measures they put in place when the 2007 law took effect. Others planned to consult their attorneys and school boards.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-14/news/ct-met-moment-of-silence-0115-20110114_1_silent-reflection-mandatory-moment-regional-superintendent

[Sabriel]

1. Shouldn't they also have a moment of ululation?

It only seems equitable.

Seriously, what is the point of this? I'm lost. And what happens if you're not silent or reflective? Detention?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. More to the point, can they *prevent* a moment of ululation?

If that's what the students really want? :evilgrin:

[demodonkey]

3. My mother, a retired teacher, said it was very focusing for the students...

...30 seconds of quiet as they began the day = sort of like a time-out allowing kids to focus.

Try it... just be silent and calm for 30 seconds and see how you feel afterward. (Whether or not you pray, or think about anything spiritual, or think about anything at all, really.)


On edit: If a child refused to be respectful of others enough to be silent for 30 seconds, they might be sent to a real time out where they could reflect on how citizens need to sometimes defer our own self-expression for a time in order to allow others to exercise theirs. A give and take. Think about that in light of this past week... If everyone would simply recognize that our so-called right to free speech and expression needs to be tempered with common sense and respect for others, how much better would our dialogue as a country be?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I don't have a big problem with it either

We have bigger fish to fry.

[SharonAnn]

9. Yes, I find that the Pledge of Allegiance can do that, even for adult meetings.

It gets everyone focused and then we can sit down and start the activity with everyone's attention focused.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. I think pupils should be given the choice for moment of silence or get dismissesd a moment early.

I wonder which they would pick.

[HawkerHurricane]

6. They already have a moment of silence.

Then the bell rings and class starts.

[NaturalHigh]

7. I can't see what this could hurt.

[beyurslf]

8. I think it is a good thing. It teaches kids to calm down and be quiet and self reflect.

Surely half a minute of just thinking won't hurt them.

[abq e streeter]

10. I have no problem with this on its surface, and if done JUST as a moment to calm down and focus etc.

then it's an OK idea...I have a middle school music teacher friend ( and very much a liberal/progressive etc) who has started his classes like this for years; just a minute or so of "chill time" to get the kids ready to focus on their music. Of course, the danger (if not likelihood) is that the fundies will cynically use this as a way to get prayer to republican Jee-zus back into the public schools, and the fact that the word "prayer' is part of the name of the law is certainly a major red flag for this.

[astral]

11. I don't the 'big deal' here either.

Is forcing a kid to be quiet for a moment going to give them the contagious disease of religion?

I don't know if they still do it but when I was in gradeschool, we would have to put our heads down on our desk with the light off and be quiet for I do not recall how long, until the teacher turned the lights back on. Nobody said anything about praying, we just had to put our heads down and be quiet. Sometimes it was when the class was becoming too rambunctious, and I can't remember if it was for other reasons as well.

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. Mandated in Texas schools

I agree that it is okay, but the fundies in the state legislature used this to try to pass their own agenda.

[Igel]

14. Yup.

I've seen it in action. Or inaction. The kids are kept quiet. Those who want to pray--if there are any--can. Otherwise the local school just puts a nice secular aphorism for reflection up on the screen.

It's too short for most kids to do anything with, so they read it the aphorism a few times and then the moment passes. The horror of it all.

[WinkyDink]

13. Whatever. Students will be thinking, "Can't this last longer?"

[TexasProgresive]

15. I can remember having whole periods of enforced silence. n/t

[Cleita]

16. Whatever happened to starting the school day with

the Pledge of Allegiance, I mean the original version, the one I said in class that didn't have the "under god" phrase added? I would also add the Preamble to the Constitution too to remind the kids of what country they live in even if their parents don't remember. That's all the moment they need to start the school day.