I couldn't disagree more strongly. I was very happy when they stopped that because students made a mockery of that event. Furthermore, different denominations are different; and, I was being forced to pray in a manner not suitable for my beliefs. (LCMS Lutheran in Southern Baptist territory)
Any day can start with a prayer even without the school doing that. Be advised, I never stopped praying in school, I just didn't make a public spectacle over it. I am convinced that people who want prayer in public schools are represented by the Pharisee in Jesus's Parable of the Pharisee and Publican.
I think the problem started because families quit going to church and holding devotionals at home.
My mother told me about when she was in elementary school in Harrisburg, PA in the late ‘20’s, early ‘30’s around the 3rd grade, the teacher lead the students in “The Lord’s Prayer” but it was the “Protestant” version and she was not allowed to say, even to herself the Catholic version or make the Catholic sign of the Cross and was punished for not conforming. She also told me her few friends who were Jewish were either forced to say the prayer and were punished and ridiculed by the teacher if they didn’t.
This teacher in front of the classroom called my mother a “papist” and an “idolator” for being a Catholic and called the Jewish kids in her class “pickle lickers” and “You Jesus killers” and other vile names.
This same teacher punished my mother for getting a math problem wrong, and in front of the entire classroom, put her over the lap, pulled down her panties and spanked her naked butt while encouraging the class to laugh at her.
My mother never got over this shame and became “math phobic”. My mother was quite intelligent and well-read and excelled in music but was terrified for the rest of her adult life of even trying to do the simplest of math problems because of this teacher.
Agreed.