Testing Grounds The latest industry being outsourced to India is clinical drug trials. And any number of tragic things can happen on the way to your medicine cabinet.
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
A committee of parents and educators in Hillsborough County has proposed a school calendar for 2009-2010 that drops religious holidays. This is a thoughtful step toward ending a controversy enabled by the very people — school administrators, the unions and publicity-hungry politicians — whose cooperation is essential.
Removing religious holidays from the calender was the only appropriate recommendation this committee could make. The public schools have a secular mission. Their job is not to pick which religious holidays — or by association, which entire faiths — are legitimate or popular enough to warrant a day off from school.
The controversy erupted three years ago after area Muslims — noting that Hillsborough schools were off for Good Friday, the Monday after Easter and Yom Kippur — sought a day for Ramadan. But Christian conservatives blasted the idea as inconsistent with America's "Judeo-Christian" heritage. One county commissioner upped the wattage by appearing on Fox's Bill O'Reilly show and claiming that "special interest groups" had "whittled away" at America. The bigotry came full circle after the School Board in a matter of weeks reversed its decision to forgo religious holidays.
The school district should embrace the recommendation for a secular calendar and make sure their employees follow it. It sent a bad message this year by having it both ways — holding classes on Good Friday but also making clear that students and staff members could blow off the school day. Teachers and bus drivers need to show up for work. It is unfortunate that the leader of the bus drivers' union is so cavalier about the disaster his members helped cause this year, when 40 percent of drivers took the day off. "Be prepared," he said this week, "for the same thing to happen again."
The calender committee did its job. Now the people paid to run the schools need to do theirs.
[Last modified: Nov 24, 2008 05:18 PM]
Comments on this article
by Eleni
Nov 24, 2008 5:18 PM
Jack - orthodox, biblical Christianity is based on objective historical facts, not myths. "The fool says in his heart there is no God." Ps. 14.1. You don't want to admit there is a God to whom you are accountable.
by Dan
Nov 23, 2008 7:33 AM
A lot of religious holidays are observed Federal Holidays. If I am not mistaken, by keeping the school open on these days, the workers qualify for holiday pay. Thereby costing more money to the school budget (our pockets) for salaries.
by Dan
Nov 23, 2008 7:33 AM
I want President's Day off again and to go to school on MLK Day. Any objections?
by Teacher
Nov 22, 2008 10:17 PM
For the record, the majority of teachers DID show up. Do not blame the teachers for the Good Friday debacle. It was the kids who didn't come to school and the lying parents who allowed their kids to have a day a the mall.
by Jack
Nov 21, 2008 10:22 PM
Some commenters say keep religious school holidays because the U.S. was "founded on religious freedom." So that justifies imposing religion on everyone? No way. Keep religion away from government. Keep superstition and irrationality strictly private.
by Gil
Nov 21, 2008 7:51 PM
So schools can give students the Friday before Easter off as long as they call it Pretty Good Friday? And Ramadan would be Day Off With No Connection To Muhammad. Enough of those constitutionally correct days and we'll solve school overcrowding.
by tim
Nov 21, 2008 7:50 PM
The punks on the Hillsbough School board better deep six this idea. What a load of politically correct crap. I say let the Boarc know that the public can spell R-E-C-A-L-L.
by Jack
Nov 21, 2008 7:38 PM
What a courageous panel! It's outrageous that religion is imposed on the public through the school calendar. Might as well have school holidays that celebrate Peter Pan, Zeus or Robin Hood. Education should be about facts, not myths.
by RJ
Nov 21, 2008 7:31 PM
You're speaking with a forked tongue. You want a secular calendar, but you still want Christmas off. Calling it "winter break" doesn't really change anything. We are predominantly a Judeo-Christian country. Give us our traditional days off.
by Howard
Nov 21, 2008 7:31 PM
Government offices also. Sure, as if that is going to happen!
by JaneAnn
Nov 21, 2008 6:11 PM
Great idea. If people chose to worship in their faith of their choice, they remove the kids. If people chose not to worship, they make their choice as well. Seems a win:win. WISE work from this committee.
by Jerry
Nov 21, 2008 6:07 PM
I believe in God. I believe there IS a God. This country was founded on religious freedom. So NOW a small group of people in this country are getting everything their way--the removal of religion from school in total. What happened to my rights?
by Jerry
Nov 21, 2008 6:07 PM
For those of you that believe in God, contact your representatives, Governor, President, school board members, etc. and complain about these injustices. In seems to me that if you are a Christian in this country--you don't count. Be COUNTED!!!
by Jon
Nov 21, 2008 5:56 PM
I couldn't agree more. For America to return to prominence, a secular agenda needs to be put in place. (Look at what has happened over the last 8 years with faith driven politics.)
by Beth
Nov 21, 2008 4:39 PM
Wow, hateful, hateful, hateful! Devoid of facts. Lacking even a basic grasp of the Constitution. Is Nelly Olson running your newspaper??? Sure sounds like it!
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