We constantly here pundits say that there is no provision in the US Constitution for anything dealing with education.  Article IV Sec. 3 gives Congress the authority to regulate American territories and the rules for a territory to become a new state in union with the original 13.  This set of requirements is contained in a document called the Northwest Ordinance.  Originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson, it was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1787 and readopted by the first session of the US Congress under the Constitution. Essentially it required any new state to continue "the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the basis whereon these republics, their laws and constitutions are erected." Sec. 14. It is hereby ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That the following articles shall be considered as articles of compact between the original States and the people and States in the said territory and forever remain unalterable, unless by common consent, to wit: ... Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.
Read that carefully.  States are to teach "religion, morality and knowledge" in their schools or that state cannot be admitted into the union of the original 13. Why? The fundamental principles that the original states had fought and won a revolution to establish were to "remain unalterable" and were "necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind." We must ask the question every time we speak about education, are we doing what is constitutionaly required?  Do we have good government and are our people happy?  The answer is simple.  Instead of being a requirement in education, religion and morality, are forbidden from our public schools.  It was in direct opposition to the Progressive thinking taking hold in America in the late 1800s that Mississippi amemnded its Bill of Rights to include, Art. 3 Sec. 18, that we would not "exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public school of this State."  That folks is why modern "Common Core" should be totally scrapped and the constitutional mandate of "religion, morality and knowlege" must be returned to our classrooms.  It is a constitutional requirement.  Our elected officials swear an oath to defend it yet they continue to ignore it. If these things were not plainly written in our Constitution, I would not know to fight for them the way I do. Until repealed by the people of MS, the law strands as written. Time to elect people who understand and take their oath seriously, "so help me God."