Should Texas schools relax flag etiquette, Pledge of Allegiance lessons? School Boards Association thinks so

The Canutillo ISD school board is vowing to continue having its schools teach U.S. and Texas flag etiquette along with the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem.

The district decided not to take into consideration a proposed policy change from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) that strips that language from the district’s policy.

Canutillo’s current local policy states: “The flags of the U.S. and the state of Texas shall be flown at every school on all regular school days and shall be displayed in each district classroom. Students shall be instructed in flag etiquette and shall be guided in developing an attitude of respect for the flags of their nation and state. The principal of each school shall be responsible for displaying the flags. All students should learn, with understanding, the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem, ‘The Star Spangled Banner.'”

The TASB suggests the language be stripped down to simply: “The U.S. and Texas flags shall be prominently displayed in each classroom to which a student is assigned during the time that the pledges of allegiance to those flags are recited.”

ABC-7 reached out to CISD for comment and received the following statement: “The CISD Board of Trustees believes the national and state Pledges of Allegiance and National Anthem are integral symbols of our identity as a nation and state. Our policy will remain the same as we value the respect and honor that these symbols bring to the many who have served our country and fought for our freedom.”

A TASB spokesperson told ABC-7 the policy suggestion came because a state law change now requires a flag be present anywhere the pledge is recited.

In the course of recommending new language to deal with that, the association said it also recommended eliminating language that isn’t legally necessary.

TASB said instruction about the pledge and curriculum can be included in a district’s curriculum, but it does not need to be in its legal policy.

El Paso Patrick Ramirez disagreed with the TASB’s suggestion. “Let the kids start young, let them learn what its all about,” Ramirez said. “I was raised that way.”