Halloween

DaveSchmidt said:

The follow-up question is: Who is harmed by the policy change?

stop being sensible.  you're violating the premise of the thread. 

next think you know, empathy could break out, and then wherewould we be?

max_weisenfeld said:

DaveSchmidt said:

The follow-up question is: Who is harmed by the policy change?

stop being sensible.  you're violating the premise of the thread. 

next think you know, empathy could break out, and then wherewould we be?

In an open-minded and progressive community. Imagine the horror. 

GoSlugs said:

That said, if we accept, for the sake of argument, that this most secular of all holidays is somehow "religious" at its core, are we not then violating the rights of those who celebrate it by banning them from wearing their "religious" regalia?

--- or if my kid wanted to wear a Spidy costume to school and was sent home, her 1st Amendment right to free speech (expression) would be violated and that would result in a different law suit.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

GoSlugs said:

That said, if we accept, for the sake of argument, that this most secular of all holidays is somehow "religious" at its core, are we not then violating the rights of those who celebrate it by banning them from wearing their "religious" regalia?

--- or if my kid wanted to wear a Spidy costume to school and was sent home, her 1st Amendment right to free speech (expression) would be violated and that would result in a different law suit.

As a former teacher, however, you’d know how low the lawsuit’s odds of overcoming settled First Amendment law regarding school attire would be, just as GoSlugs is probably aware of the constitutional hurdles stacked against his hypothetical religious argument.

That $1000+ per pvt school kid transpo reimbursement covers kick **** Halloween costumes.

Thanks guys!

GoSlugs said:

And there you have it.  What religion claims this ritual?

neo-pagans. There are probably some in town but not many. My impression is that it is more of a "thing" in the UK and Europe, especially Scandinavian countries. I have run into a few neo-pagans in online groups, but not recently. They seem to be pretty diverse in their beliefs but the people I have briefly chatted with seem to be very gentle and committed to environmental causes. No upside down crosses. As far as religions go (and I am not a fan) they seem harmless.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year

DaveSchmidt said:

As a former teacher, however, you’d know how low the lawsuit’s odds of overcoming settled First Amendment law regarding school attire would be, just as GoSlugs is probably aware of the constitutional hurdles stacked against his hypothetical religious argument.

Tnker v. DeMoines

DaveSchmidt said:

dave said:

How about the schools don't organize anything, but if someone shows up wearing a Spiderman outfit, no one goes crazy over it? And if anyone says Spiderman is a religious figure, tell them to bring proof.

Schools could keep me from going crazy by teaching future adults that he’s Spider-Man.

Good catch, Mr Editor. 

DaveSchmidt said:

wendy said:

I would really like a direct quote of the reasons given by the super. 

Here’s a link to Taylor’s letter to parents, courtesy of Village Green:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZMZNZp3S-Xju18dpz4tWfhK4ziynj94N/view

Thank you Dave. I hope all read this. This was very helpful and providing clarity about the questions to be answered made lots of sense. 

Somewhat related is the ongoing move to entirely de-leveling the district but unfortunately those promoting that including I believe the current Super only looked at one of the questions and not the overall goal of appropriate learning and advancement for all. There was a group I was involved in when I was a very involved parent in the school system called Levels Can Work.

Happy Halloween

Unrelated to this thread's contents, but only to it's title, and because I don't want to start a new thread -- I appreciate the seasonal decor of the site today!

wendy said:

Thank you Dave. I hope all read this. This was very helpful and providing clarity about the questions to be answered made lots of sense. 

Somewhat related is the ongoing move to entirely de-leveling the district but unfortunately those promoting that including I believe the current Super only looked at one of the questions and not the overall goal of appropriate learning and advancement for all. There was a group I was involved in when I was a very involved parent in the school system called Levels Can Work.

echoing Wendy. Thanks for posting the letter. It has made an impact. I really had no idea this was such a big thing for people but now knowing it is, the change seems reasonable.

 I also agree with PVW about the site's "Halloween costume."