The National School Boards Association will consider for the first time at its annual meeting in San Francisco next month whether to oppose school prayer as a matter of formal policy.
A draft policy proposed by a committee of the organization states: “It is inappropriate for the government to organize, prescribe, direct, or supervise prayer in the public schools.”
The school-boards group, representing some 95,000 board members across the nation, has not previously taken a stand on the prayer question, according to Robert G. Wilson, chairman of the drafting committee, because “the courts have clearly stated that school prayer is unconstitutional.” Mr. Wilson and Gwendolyn Gregory, general counsel of nsba, concurred that nsba officials believed it was appropriate to take a policy position at this time because of the President’s backing for a constitutional amendment on school prayer and the issue’s prominence in the Congress.
The American Psychological Association, which boasts it is the world’s largest organization of psychologists, is about to add a surprising new element to its 40 divisions and 17 journals in specialized fields: Psychology Today, which may be the world’s most widely read publication about why people behave the way they do.
The sale of the 15-year-old publication to the apa was announced late last month by officials of the professional organization and officers of the Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. The terms of the agreement on the 850,000-circulation monthly were not disclosed.
The group that serves as a clearinghouse and official support agency for the activities of the 50 state legislatures was incorrectly identified here in the Feb. 23 issue of Education Week. The correct name of the group is the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, a Washington-based coalition of national education and related groups interested in promoting citizenship programs and awareness, has published the first issue of a quarterly newsletter designed to inform members about materials and programs across the country that they may find of interest.
The first issue of Citizenship Education News includes news of the group’s efforts to monitor citizenship-education bills pending in the Congress, profiles of some of its member organizations, a calendar of forthcoming events, and a resources list, among other items.
Now three years old, the cac was established with support from the Kettering Foundation and Close Up Foundation and with membership dues, according to Diane Eisenberg, its executive director. Hoping to expand its list of 30 groups and 100 individuals that are members, the group will mail the new newsletter to all who join the organization. The annual membership fee for individuals is $10.
Members are also invited to participate in the council’s second annual Jennings Randolph Forum, “Civic Values in a Technological Age,” to be held May 8-10 in Washington, D.C.
For further information, contact Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1404, Arlington, Va. 22202 (703) 892-5412.--mm
