It's a horrible situation. The 'moment of silence' is like torture for most kids. You can't legislate people into believing, geez.

More power to the teachers that struggle through.

How can sitting or taking a knee in schools be against the law? That is so not separation of church and state!

Were u always agnostic/atheist? If not what made u change ur philosophy? Just curious.

I really would like to meet you, especially since ur a smoker. Believe it or not, it's beginning to be a deal breaker for some!!! Ugh!!!! LOL

Great pics by the way. U r really easy on the eyes!!! LMAO

What a rotten situation to find yourself in. I would certainly contact FFRF and tell them about your story. I think the only way to curb a bs requirement such as that would be to elect a President who is willing to reverse that particular law, or at least elect an open minded governor in that state, although I imagine that would be asking for too much from Oklahoma. I wish you the best, and hopefully a remedy will present itself.

I admire you for adhering to your principles. When I've been expected to stand for the pledge as a high school teacher in Texas, I've usually stood but either not recited, or only recited a portion of the pledge. I have occasionally sat, but rarely. If it ever became a problem, the FFRF would help you, and you would likely win your legal case (but such might take a long time, and you might suffer some meanwhile). Your explanation was an excellent one, because separation of church and state is (in addition to being a great idea) a very patriotic reason for not saying a portion of the pledge. I think you will be ok. Keep us posted.

I have and I will always stand up to salute my flag....but I will never say "under god". My students -all- knew I am an Atheist and they never said anything negative about this fact.

I enjoyed saying the pledge of allegiance every day in school when I was young. My classmates and I always hoped to be chosen to hold the flag in front of all the students on the playground. As an American who has lived abroad for many years, I consider saying the pledge to be important for US unity. Of course students should have the option to sit out of the pledge if they choose, but the pledge is important to be said. On a side note, I am also an educator and I make it a point to not express my political views to students because it is not the place for it. Outside of school, okay, but not in the classroom.

I would say, not to blow your cover and your gig or build yourself a parachute well before. You would make a lovely, vivacious addition to the celebrity atheist speaker tours, I am not sure that would really pay the bills or buy the life you wanted.

Ozzie, it is required in Texas, also, but at least we pay better that Ok. I'm with the other posters. Yes, the law is unconstitioutional and you would EVENTUALLY win in court, but is it worth the trouble?

But, you'd be on TV and might get discovered!

On one hand, you shouldn't forget history and still support patriotism. On the other, must feel like Nazi - Germany. Main thing is getting over yourself and respecting others choices.

Maybe it's just me, but the pledge of allegiance has always sort of creeped me out. A room full of people chanting in unison, covering their heart in a weird salute, promising allegiance to a flag. Ever since I was a teenager it just seemed like some weird dystopian future sort of thing. The "under god" just adds to my dislike of the whole thing.

I know Oklahoma is a right-to-work (for less) state but maybe your union rep? ACLU? FFRF?

Land of the free says it all I thought.

Play along. It's not worth losing your job.

I personally hated being forced to say the Pledge. With the current state the country is in, I feel like I’m declaring allegiance to a totalitarian dictator than allying myself with something I can voluntarily have. That’s just me, and I’m not a teacher or any type of authority figure, but forcing someone to say what they don’t actually believe may have some problems to it.

If I were you I would tell them that the minute silence was to remember everybody wrongly killed by the country and tell them that flags are symbols of everything wrong with a nation, as well as everything right.

This way you get to keep your job, teach your kids the true patriotism, and excercise free speech!

Turn your back to the class so they can't read your lips ...speak softly and mumble.

That is not only unconstitutional but has been backed up by the Supreme Court. Even the old version could not be forced on people. This was something my late partner (also a K-3rd grade teacher) always fought and always won.

I believe that I would condition myself, by keeping my personal beliefs...personal... unless you are ask. I liked your responce about 'separation of church and state.' You did not sell yourself out and yet you did not reveal, 'your all.' I doubt that you would find the perfect teaching environment for your nature, so the next best thing is to protect your 'inner nature.' You are there to perform a service, a professional...you are not there to convince anyone of your personal worth or beliefs! Your beliefs should support you in being an upright person, and that right is not given to you by any other person! That is what this country stands for, even as it appears strained at the moment!

Fight it, what do you have to lose? Read that OK teachers are the worst paid in the country.

You probably have to do it if you want to continue working as a teacher in that state. And being a Teacher is a very important and noble thing to do! If you are good at it, please don't stop.
What if, instead of saying "one nation, under God" you said "one nation, e pluribus Unum"
The motto E Pluribus Unum was first proposed by the U.S. Continental Congress in 1782, for use on the Great Seal of the United States.

You got to do what you got to do.

I used to live in Duncan. In 2015, there was a mom that contacted the appropriate legal groups and filed a complaint when her child came home from school with a bible. The teacher had handed out bibles to kids in the classroom. The community did everything possible to make her (the complainant) and her family's lives miserable. The community rallied around the teacher.

My thoughts - Pledges of allegience and children do not mix. They do not have the capacity to understand what they are saying and it should only be something required of adults at events such as becoming a citizenship ceremony. I think this should be discussed with high school kids as part of their Civics or Legal Studies subjects to have a background on where it came from & what it really means.

That's a really hard place to be in. It really comes down to do you want to walk through fire to get it changed or is it tolerable. I think I would contact the ACLU. They could probably give you more information.

Nope, I would stand up and loudly say fukit and throw both hands in the air showing the two handed one finger salute, if that's what I believed.

Since that's not my belief, I would think of the ones who are no longer with us because they died to help us enjoy what we have as I say the pledge, then I would reflect on my beliefs in the moment of silence while other do the same. I am very hard core when I need to be. I see the advantages of keeping us united and respecting other's beliefs.

I would have to question it as are my feelings to rebel due to it being a law, or against my own belief.