Big Protest. Parents Go To School Over Deleted Holidays

School officials in New Jersey have decided to eliminate references to holidays.  All holidays!  Is this another attack on Christmas or Hanukah?   Do you agree?

This past week, the Randolph New Jersey Board of Education decided to remove all holidays from its school calendar.  This prompted a public outcry among parents in the school district and Governor Murphy.

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The potential move was the result of a vote.  In essence, the school’s one-page calendar would eliminate all holidays that close the school, and label them “Days Off” instead.  A total of 2,500 signatures were collected on an online petition demanding members of the Randolph Board of Education members resign and superintendent, Jen Fano be removed.

Responding to the uproar, the board of education issued this statement…

“Our actions are somehow being misconstrued by some to mean that the Randolph School District is no longer recognizing these holidays, teaching about them to our students and honoring the great veterans and the heroes for whom many of these holidays have been named. Nothing could be further from the truth. These state, federal and other holidays have not been cancelled or taken away by this board of education as some are falsely claiming. Schools will still be closed on the days that we originally approved and our children will know why. They will still continue to receive instruction in schools about these important historical events and the people behind them.”

Their online statement went on to say…

“Everyone should remember that the primary purpose of the school calendar is to inform parents when schools will be open and when schools will be closed,” the board said. “In essence, it is a school attendance calendar which is why we did not feel the need to list every state, federal and religious holiday on the one-page calendar that we adopt every year.”

The board already voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  Not sure now if that holiday will also be excluded from this calendar.