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THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20202
October 9, 2001
Dear Principal:
As a Nation, we
have responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11 by offering
our support to the victims and their families, to the rescue workers,
and to the men and women of the United States military. We have also
displayed remarkable patriotism that reflects our appreciation for
and dedication to the principles that make America strong - freedom,
liberty, and independence.
Teachers in every
community in America have been working with students to help them
understand what happened on September 11 and to overcome their fears
and concerns. They have also worked to teach them more about our
proud and rich national history and the foundations of our free society.
I write today to
ask you to join me and students, teachers, parents, and other proud
Americans across the country in showing our patriotism by reciting
the Pledge of Allegiance at a single time and with a unified voice in
your classrooms on Friday, October 12, 2001.
Pledge Across
America is being organized by Celebration USA, a nonprofit
organization created to strengthen instruction on the basic
principles of American democracy in America's classrooms. They have
offered us an opportunity to join in a synchronized Pledge of
Allegiance at 2:00 p.m. EDT, 1:00 p.m. CDT, Noon MDT, 11:00 a.m. PDT,
10:00 a.m. in Alaska, and 8:00 a.m. in Hawaii.
I hope you will
join me in making this a national celebration on Friday at the times
listed above. Together, we can send a loud and powerful message that
will be heard around the world: America is "one nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Sincerely,
/s/
Rod Paige
More information
on Pledge Across America is available on the U.S. Department of
Education website at www.ed.gov. |
