Flag pledge in Spanish doesn't fly at school

Juro fidelidad to the flag?

Sandy Elementary leaders thought offering the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish and English would be a great way to celebrate diversity.

But, some parents chimed in that "I pledge allegiance" should not be "Juro fidelidad." So, to avoid controversy, the Spanish pledge was canceled Friday.

"We kind of feel we're in a tough situation either way," school PTA President Rebekah Cowdell said. "Our intention was just to celebrate diversity and languages at our school, and for us, the thought of anything political wasn't even an issue. We didn't want to turn it into that, so we decided it was better not to do it. ... The bottom line is we just didn't want it to turn into a negative thing."

Controversy over reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in a language other than English has played out in various communities nationwide over the past year.

A North Carolina superintendent required the pledge be recited in English at official school ceremonies to put a lid on disruption after a student recited it in English and Spanish at graduation, according to the Charlotte Observer.

A school in Florida ruffled some feathers when it taught youngsters the pledge in Spanish, according to immigrationwatchdog.com. Ditto for an Idaho school, where students recited the pledge in German and Spanish, during which some students sat down in protest, according to local TV news reports.

On the flip side, a New Jersey high school posts the Spanish translation of the pledge on its Web site.

Most times, the controversy comes down to schools' attempts to celebrate diversity running afoul of those who feel the pledge should be recited in English — the predominant, though not official, language of the U.S.

A Sandy Elementary school committee had planned several activities this week to celebrate Take Your Family To School Week, including Pledge of Allegiance assemblies led by dignitaries including Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, principal Sandra Dahl-Houlihan said.

A bilingual local businessman and Sandy Elementary alumnus was asked to deliver the pledge in Spanish and in English Friday morning.

"We are a diverse school. ... Our intention was to bring the family to school, especially our Spanish-speaking students, have them feel more of a part of the community and school," Dahl-Houlihan said. "We wanted them to feel the power of the words of the Pledge of Allegiance in their own language."