[RANDomScout]

No student may be compelled against the student's objections or those of the student's parent(s)/guardian to recite the pledge or to sing the anthem

No, but under the current wording of the pledge the student is forced to profess their belief to a public school official or fellow students. No one should have to do that.

Follow closely: "No student may be compelled..." The only people that "have to do" something are the teachers. Should a student not wish to participate, they can stand in respectful silence until the Pledge is over. No harm, no foul. I don't see how this "forces" them to profess belief in or against anything. Should anyone ask, they can simply say: "I don't wish to participate." End of conversation.

[rustbucket]

Yes, I understand "no student shall be compelled". Believe me, I do. My question is why should the student be put in the position of having to say the pledge or not in the first place? No one should be put in that position, particularly a young person who wants more than anything to be accepted by peers.

If the student opts out or does not believe what the other students do, he/she does face ostracism and possible poor treatment from teachers. I know because I've seen it happen. Perhaps things have improved since I went to school, but human nature being what it is, I suspect not.