The recent decision by the Montgomery County Board of Education to remove references to religious holidays from the 2015-2016 school calendar has generated a strong reaction from the community. People are proud of their religion and passionate about the observance of their holidays. Both of us feel the same way about our respective faiths. Here is the bottom line: The decision the Board made to remove the names of religious holidays does not change the ability of our students or employees to celebrate their religious and cultural holidays. During the 2015-2016 school year, students will be off on Rosh Hashanah (September 14, 2015); Yom Kippur (September 23, 2015); Christmas Eve and Christmas (December 24 and 25, 2015); and the Friday before and Monday after Easter (March 25 and 28, 2016). All the Board’s vote did was to change the way those holidays are annotated on our calendar in order to eliminate the misconception that schools are closed for religious reasons. We cannot legally close schools on religious grounds. Furthermore, the Board’s action is in line with what is done at many other large, diverse districts across the country, including Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore City, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Gwinnett County (Georgia), and Hillsborough County (Florida), just to name a few. - Phil Kauffman, President, Montgomery County, Maryland Board of Education and Patricia ONeill, Vice President
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 22:19:08 +0000
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