New Law Says Science Teachers Must Recite "Footprints in the Sand"

Members of the Dover, PA school board have ordered science teachers who teach in area high schools to begin each session of their classes with a recitation of the beloved inspirational poem known as "Footprints in the Sand." Board members and some parents say that "Footprints" teaches important lessons about natural history, geology and oceanography.

Skeptics ask 'what happened to the other set of footprints?'

By Cole Walters

DOVER, PA—Life sciences teacher George Haven used to begin his classes here with an unusual practice: by focusing on whatever science-related topic he was teaching that day. But now members of the local school board say he must hold off on educating 9th graders about the origin and characteristics of organisms—at least for a few minutes. Thanks to a recent decision by the school board, every science teacher in the Dover Area School District must now start his or her class with a recitation of the beloved inspirational poem "Footprints in the Sand." 

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The mystery of "Footprints"
But the requirement that teachers of chemistry, physics and biology devote part of each day to a discussion of "Footprints" and its mystery—why the narrator of the poem sees two sets of footprints on some occasions and only one on others—isn't sitting well with all of Dover's instructors. Mr. Haven says that while he is a personal fan of the poem allegedly penned by Mary Stevenson in 1939—he carries a copy on a card in his wallet—he doesn't believe that "Footprints" belongs in the science classroom.

"I'm here to teach to teach kids how to take a standardized test," says Mr. Haven. "Until there are questions about 'Footprints' on the test, I'm not going to teach it." The school board is now considering taking disciplinary measures against Mr. Haven and a handful of other "Footprints" holdouts in Dover area schools.

"Footprints" scientifically significant, say fans
But fans of the inspirational ode say that the science classroom is precisely where it belongs. Parent and curriculum improvement advocate Lorraine Dittie said that she was shocked to discover that her daughter Tiffany's 9th grade life sciences textbook contains not a single mention of "Footprints in the Sand." "It's got sections on the ocean and the movement of waves, on how sand is formed and about the human skeleton and nothing, not a word about 'Footprints," says Mrs. Dittie. "As far as I'm concerned this is a free speech issue. Why is the ACLU so determined to keep 'Footprints' out of the classroom?"

"Footprints" heard around the country
Legal analysts say that the "Footprints" fight in Dover is likely just the beginning of a movement to introduce the beloved verse into science classrooms across the country. In recent months, a well-funded advocacy group—The Footprints Institute, with headquarters in Clearwater, FL—has been created to help parents and school boards add the ode to local curricula. And the Thomas More Law Center, a pro-family Christian legal firm that defends school Spirit, recently announced that it will take on its first "Footprints" case later this fall.

A town torn
Residents of Dover are largely divided about the place of "Footprints" in local science classrooms. School board elections scheduled for the spring are expected to be hotly contested, featuring an equal number of pro and anti-"Footprints" candidates. Residents say that the issue is already making its way onto campaign materials. Candidate Lorraine Dittie recently unveiled a new yard sign, emblazoned with her name and a single set of footprints on a sandy beach, a strong visual indication that the Lord is carrying her campaign.

Do you think that "Footprints in the Sand" should be required reading in science classrooms across America? Talk back to Cole Walters.

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Comments

[ruth]

is this really true? I can't imagine any law so incredibly stupid actually being passed by a school board. It's a religious poem--about Jesus. Separation of church and state is usually a big deal. The poem has almost nothing to do with science, and certainly should not be REQUIRED to be recited each day. I am currently a senior in high school, and I would definitely feel shocked, belittled, and outraged that my superiors would pass a mandate like this, and even more stupified that parents would actually be appalled that a religious poem is not in a science textbook. If our schools are wasting their time over idiotic matters like these, and more are planning to follow suit, why SHOULDN'T students and teachers not participate? A teacher is being harassed into reciting a poem during his science class? I just don't see the sense. If you do, please enlighten me.

[Julia Weber]

Yes, I believe this should be in the class discussions. Where it is put in the daily discussion should not matter.
Science is a class full of the unknown and the already known.
The issue of the lord and our relationship with the lord is in the unknown and the already known.

Science brings fear to people and disbelief.
Does not the lord do the same to the people?

What does it matter where you learn a topic as long as you are always learning ?

Fear stops all knowledge!

[Anonymous]

Mary Stevenson did not write the poem Footprints.
You should take the name off.

[FRANK GRIFFIN]

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND GOT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. WILL SOMEONE SKILLED IN COPYRIGHT STUFF ENLIGHTEN ME HOW TO FIND THE COMPANY OR COMPANIES WHO FIRST PLACED FOOTPRINTS INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN???N THANK-YOU

[FRANK GRIFFIN]

I AM THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND. WHAT IS GOING ON IN DOVER? WILL SOMEONE ENLIGHTEN ME ABVOUT THE LAW SUIT?????

[Bob Davis]

I used to be a high school science teacher, and I used to teach Seasons in the Sun, that beloved song from the 70s by Terry Jacks. Every quarter, there would be questions about how hard physics was and how boring biology was, and so I would teach the song and that would put things in perspective for the kids.

Goodbye Papa please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along

It still brings tears to the eyes of my former students even to this day.

a modest experiment