By KRWG News
New Mexico – New Mexico's state education secretary says she will not make any changes to a rule requiring the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited every day in public schools.
Secretary Veronica Garcia had been considering amending the rule to allow students to opt out of the pledge and to make clear there would be no retaliation if they did so.
But Garcia said Friday that most school districts already have policies in place to address that. And she said matters related to students' rights should be handled by local school districts.
Garcia also said changing the state rule could give the mistaken impression that the Pledge of Allegiance is not important in New Mexico's classrooms.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.