While most people grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school, one Atlanta elementary school has decided to do away with it entirely. Rather than continue with saying the pledge, the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School will have the students recite something completely different – their school chant. The students will now say what the school is referring to as the “Wolf Pack Chant,” according to a press release.
Principal Lara Zelski noted that it’s become “increasingly obvious” that more children weren’t standing or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, so they felt a change was warranted.
According to Zelski: “Students will continue to lead the meeting by asking our community to stand to participate in our wolf pack chant together.”
That’s not to mean that the pledge can’t still be a part of a child’s day, as Zelski explained they can still recite it at another point during the school day in the classroom.
She noted: “This decision was made in an effort to begin our day as a fully inclusive and connected community. There are many emotions around (the pledge) and we want everyone in our school family to start their day in a positive manner.”
The wording of the chant has not yet been established but, according to school officials, teachers and the school’s leadership team are working with students to develop something for everyone to say each morning.
Zelski further explained: “This pledge will focus on students’ civic responsibility to their school family, community, country and our global society.”
The Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, which serves kindergarten through fifth-grade students, opened in 2002.
Similarly, a Pennsylvania school changed its policy earlier this year, so that children do not have to stand for the pledge, citing First Amendment rights.
Bedford Area School District superintendent Allen Sell told WJAC, “Personally, I hope every student will stand for our flag,” adding, “But if they choose not to, that’s their First Amendment rights and we, as school leaders, have the responsibility to respect that.”
When an 18-year-old Texas student refused to stand during the pledge recently, she was expelled. She later sued the high school, telling Fox 32 that she doesn’t believe that the flag “represents what it stands for, liberty and justice for all.” She noted that administrators violated her free speech rights by making her leave school.
Among those who weighed in with comments on the Daily Mail‘s coverage of the story was one person who remarked: “Good, we shouldn’t have to be forced to pledge allegiance to anything, let alone a flag that stands for 200 plus years of human rights violations and hypocrisy.”
Another commenter disagreed, however, noting: “I like the fact that throughout our great nation children and their teachers are reciting the pledge. It’s a way to show unity. And respect.”
One person shared: “I see no problem with reciting the pledge, but it shouldn’t be mandatory. There are far too many people out there that wave the flag and stand at the anthem to show their fake patriotism. If it was real, they would have actually served their country instead of trying to show it through artificial means… Once you serve you understand it’s the people and country, not the flags that matter.”