 Last week, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a two-year
suspension of the law requiring public schools to "observe a brief
period of silence" at the beginning of every school day. A district
court deemed the law unconstitutional in 2009, after critics
challenged the silence period as a religious exercise.The
Illinois State Board of Education notified school superintendents of
the court action through e-mail last Friday, informing them the
mandatory period of silence took effect following the lift of the
suspension.
Since Monday was a state holiday, school districts across the
state began Tuesday morning with a brief period of silence.
"I could probably say it is off to a quiet start," said Holly
Sparkman, marketing director for Rock Island-Moline School District.
Sparkman said she thinks teachers in the Rock Island-Moline
School District would be more than willing to include a moment of
silence in their mornings.
"Some schools start their day with it at the beginning of the
announcement. Other schools, before they do the Pledge of
Allegiance, will stop for maybe 10 seconds and observe for a moment
of silence -- it really varies," she said.
State lawmakers approved changes to the Silent Reflection and
Student Prayer Act in 2007, making the period of silence mandatory,
not optional.
"This period shall not be conducted as a religious exercise but
shall be an opportunity for silent prayer or for silent reflection
on the anticipated activities of the day," states the legislation.
However, the law doesn't state how long the silence period should
last.
The State Board of Education isn't providing specific guidance to
school districts, saying it is up to each school district to
determine the duration of silence.
"The state board does not want to limit the district's own
decision and flexibility," said ISBE spokeswoman Mary Fergus.
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Alton School District Superintendent David Elson said he informed
administrators about the decision as soon as he found out on Friday.
Elson said he didn't see any problems with resuming the period of
silence after a hiatus, and teachers included it in opening
exercises Tuesday morning.
"I think in order to implement the moment of silence, one needs
to make sure that you do it with reason and it is a moment and it is
not a long, protracted period of time," Elson said. "So we generally
will observe it with maybe 15 seconds."
Mattoon School District Superintendent Larry Lilly said he
instructed principals to begin Tuesday morning with 10- to 15-second
period of silence before the Pledge of Allegiance.
"We're just trying to obey whatever the law says, and we're just
seeing this as a moment of silent reflection," Lilly said. "If a
student wants to pray, that's fine. If a student wants to think
about what they have ahead of them for the day, then that's fine
too."
Charleston School District Superintendent Jim Littleford met with
administrators Tuesday morning to discuss the law. Littleford said
schools in his district plan to begin Wednesday morning with a
15-second period of silence to "provide students an opportunity to
reflect."
"Our teachers handle a lot throughout the day," Littleford said.
"I would think that a 15-second interruption probably wouldn't
affect them that much."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By DIANE S.W. LEE]
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