Can We Teach Patriotism in Schools?

The disestablishment clause of the U.S. Constitution has led educators in the United States to establish guidelines about addressing religion in the classroom. As a basic rule, districts have allowed teaching about religion without encouraging or supporting a particular religion. This article suggests that patriotism and patriotic expressions are, in fact, religious and that encouraging or supporting patriotism may be tantamount to establishing a state religion in the classroom.