Religious Guide for Parents & Public Schools.
DOE, Secretary Richard Riley issues directive. DOE updated: 1998.   Page 1 of   2.
Left column taken from DOE link "Secretary's Statement on Religious Expression" http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html . Right column by: HISWAYS® USA, Inc.  © 1999, Permission is granted to duplicate & distribute, unedited, for noncommercial purposes.
THE EQUAL ACCESS ACT is designed to ensure that, ..., student religious activities are accorded the same access to public school facilities as are student secular activities.   .. General provisions: Student religious groups at public secondary schools have the same right of access to school facilities as is enjoyed by other comparable student groups. ... (A) school receiving Federal funds that allows one or more student noncurriculum-related clubs to meet on its premises during noninstructional time may not refuse access to student religious groups.
Prayer services and worship exercises covered: A meeting, as defined & protected by the Equal Access Act, may include a prayer service, Bible reading, or other worship exercise. 
Equal access to means of publicizing meetings: A school receiving Federal funds must allow student groups meeting under the Act to use the school media -- including the public address system, the school newspaper, and the school bulletin board -- to announce their meetings on the same terms as other noncurriculum-related student groups...  Any policy concerning the use of school media must be applied to all  student groups in a nondiscriminatory matter.   Schools, however, may inform students that certain groups are not school sponsored. 
Lunch-time and recess covered:   A school creates a limited open forum under the Equal Access Act, triggering equal access rights for religious groups, when it allows students to meet during their lunch periods or other noninstructional time during the school day, as well as when it allows students to meet before and after the school day. 
  Revised (by DOE's Riley) May 1998
THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT: 2001  (NCLBA)
 http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html
     The freedoms and rights expressed herein were not altered due to the new law.  This law has improved the public school parents' ability to stop religious discrimination by permitting them to write a "Complaint Letter to their State Dept. of Education."  This has the potential penalty of terminating Federal funding to the school district.  Prior to this law the parents' only recourse was to make a 'federal case' out of it and sue for the restoration of religious freedom(s).  This new law allows the parent to defend their religious freedom(s) by taking it "up the chain of command".   In other words, the parent should first explain their point(s) and their NCLB options with the offender.  If the matter isn't resolved, it should be discussed with the offender's boss or principal followed by the superintendent or the district school board.  One of the authorities should be able to restore the freedom(s) without a formal written complaint.  However ...
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS & LAWYERS:
     The litigation recourse is still a possibility so our Liberty Defenders page with contact information and link .http://Hisways.org/liberty/index.htm is shown here for your convenience. 
     The Liberty Defenders may also write for you, or suggest points & details (like your State's DOE address) for:
     1.) Writing your "Letter of Intent to File a Complaint" to your school board; or, "Complaint Letter to State DOE"; or
     2.) Recommend a lawyer concerning a suit for damages.
EQUAL ACCESS BIBLE CLUBS
and more good clubs: http://Hisways.org/usa/index.htm#2clubs(11.)
Official neutrality on religious activity:  Teachers & administrators are prohibited from participating in religious activities with students & discouraging activity because of its religious content. LINKS NOTE:  All of the "reference" organizations whose links are shown here are also available at: http://Hisways.org/usa/ or http://Hisways.org/liberty/  . 
(4.) 
Teaching about religion & values:   Public schools may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture: the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible as literature, and the role of religion in US history & other countries.  NCBCPS, National Council On Bible Curriculum In Public Schools:  Home.htm ; Home.html
http://www.bibleinschools.net/ ;  NCBCPS Course Contents = http://www.bibleinschools.net/sdm.asp?pg=curriculum ;  .  1-336-272-3799 [] FREE Legal Defense GUARANTEE []  (5.)
Religious excusals:   Schools enjoy substantial discretion to excuse individual students from lessons that are objectionable to the student or parents on religious or other conscientious grounds.  Example of How To get Excusals by using  Survey Forms ; (pray for what He would have you do.)   (8.) 
Printer Note: use 1/2" margins all around.  If page break is not correct try printing separate pages. † Page 1, Page 2

Religious Guide for Parents & Public Schools.
DOE, Secretary Richard Riley issues directive.   DOE updated: 1998.    Page 2 of 2.
Left column taken from DOE link "Secretary's Statement on Religious Expression" http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html . 
Right colm by: HISWAYS® USA, Inc. Copyright 1999, Permission is granted to duplicate and distribute, unedited, for noncommercial purposes.
Student prayer and religious discussion:  The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment does not prohibit purely private religious speech by students.  Students .. have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer and religious discussion during the school day ....  (S)tudents may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray before tests to the same extent they may engage in comparable nondisruptive activities.   Local school authorities can  impose rules of order .... on student activities, but they may not structure or administer such rules to discriminate against religious activity or speech.
Graduation prayer and baccalaureates:  ... school officials may not mandate or organize prayer at graduation, nor organize religious baccalaureate ceremonies. If a school generally opens its facilities to private groups, it must make its facilities available on the same terms to organizers of privately sponsored religious baccalaureate services.
SEE YOU AT THE POLE:
(Prayer at the school flag pole.)  http://www.syatp.com/
(619) 592-9200, See their topics: "Legal" &/or "Questions to Consider" Email: info(a)syatp.com .    See also...
Liberty Counsel, PO Box 540774   Orlando,  FL   32854 
(407) 875-2100   800-671-1776 Email:Liberty(a)lc.org , 
http://www.lc.org >>  [] CAVEAT ON `RIGHTS` LINKS BELOW.[]
.
•  STUDENT'S RIGHTS on Public School Campuses, 
   http://www.lc.org/Resources/students_rights_0900.html ; 
•  TEACHER'S RIGHTS on Public School Campuses, 
   http://www.lc.org/Resources/teachers_rights_0900.html ; 

•  More Prayer Links at:
   http://Hisways.org/usa/index.htm#1prayer .     (1.) & (2.)
Assignments:   Students may express their beliefs about religion in the form of homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free of discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions.  Creation Science Facts:  plus  Over Population Myth: and Global Warming Science Report: "Instant Expert's Guide to Global Warming" by HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
Links at:  http://Hisways.org/usa/index.htm#12     (6.)
Religious literature:  Students have the right to distribute religious literature to their schoolmates, ... but schools may not single out religious literature for special regulation.
SCRIPTURES In SCHOOLS WEEK:
http://Hisways.org/usa/index.htm#10.
(7.) 
Released time:   Subject to applicable State laws, schools may dismiss students to off-premises religious instruction, provided that schools do not encourage or discourage participation or penalize those who do not attend.   Schools may not allow religious instruction by outsiders on school premises during the school day. NARTCE: National Assoc'n for Released Time Christian Educators, 5722 Lime Avenue  Long Beach,  CA  90805  http://calvarychapel.com/northlongbeach/released_time/index.htm
 (305) 428-7723  ||   Released Time Bible Education,
Emailto: rtsgh(a)aol.com (9.)
Teaching values:   Though schools must be neutral with respect to religion, they may play an active role with respect to teaching civic values and virtue and the moral code that holds us together as a community.   The fact that some of these values are held also by religions does not make it unlawful to teach them in school.
SEXUAL PURITY PROGRAMS: http://Hisways.org/usa/index.htm#8

FREE TEN COMMANDMENTS book cover art: 
http://Hisways.org/steward/10commnd.htm . 

   (10.) 

  Web Directory  ||  Top  ||
 Back to:   IX.  Stand Up For Your Children's Faith, / Steward /ship.  
 VIII.   / Liberty /  Defenders:. <= ....... ....... =>  X.  Cooperating Ministries: /Coop-min/
  © 1999-2005 HISways USA, Inc.,  http://Hisways.org/
Emailto:Staff(a)HISways.org      /Steward/Rel-Guid..htm - 25 Kb - Designed & © 11/18/99 -