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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Public schools shouldn’t close for religious reasons

Public schools shouldn’t close for religious reasons:

Public schools shouldn’t close for religious reasons

Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post - Hannah Shraim, 14, her father Ihab Shraim and mother May Salloum-Shraim in the family kitchen.The Shraim has two high schoolers who will not be in school for the Muslim holiday Eid.
Hannah Shraim, 14, with her father and mother at home in Montgomery County . She will not attend school on the Muslim  holiday Eid. (By Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post.)
Some Muslims in Montgomery County are pushing for  public school district to close schools on two major religious holidays, including one, Eid al-Adha, that is being celebrated today, according to this Post story by my colleague Donna St. George. Muslims say that their community should be respected in regard to the school calendar in the same way that Christians and Jews are. What’s wrong with that reasoning?
The problem is that American public schools are not constitutionally allowed to close to accommodate any religious need, meaning they aren’t supposed to close for religious reasons (even if Christmas Day is an official federal government holiday). But there is, in fact, a practical secular reason for closing school on some religious holidays in some areas: too many students and/or 
How many times have you heard “whatever it takes to get the job done’ and worried about what it takes? Here’s a piece on how this relates to school reform, by Athur H. Camins, director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. His writing can be accessed at http://www.arthurcamins.com/. Read full article >>