or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'

With support of ACLU!!!

When I was in the earliest grades we said the School Prayer along with the Pledge. All I remember was that it ended with "our parents, our teachers and our country," not overly religious. But when I was still in elementary school they replaced it with "a moment of silence," when we were told we could pray if we wanted. Of course that was confusing for us kids, but then that disappeared too and nobody missed it.

I'm just guessing that there was something passed here in New York related to "the separation of church and state," I certainly never knew. Maybe somebody objected? I lived in a fairly diverse community. However, that was obviously decades ago, so how is this permitted in 21st century America?

'removed' from pledge.

A Brief History of Prayer and the Pledge
In the early days of American public schools, it was not uncommon for the school day to begin with a Bible reading or a short prayer. Elementary, middle, and high schools did this for many years. They usually began the day with the Lord's Prayer. For many years, this practice went unquestioned. It reflected the broader Christian culture of the country. In the 1960s, this changed.

In the 1962 Supreme Court decision, Engel v. Vitale, the court ruled on a New York law. The case was about schools allowing a short, voluntary prayer at the start of the school day. The Supreme Court held that this prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

The next year, the court struck down school-sponsored Bible reading in School District of Abington Township Pennsylvania v. Schempp (1963). These cases established that school-sponsored religious activities are unconstitutional. This was found to violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

https://www.findlaw.com/education/student-rights/school-prayer-and-the-pledge-of-allegiance-background.html

instead of the Ten Commandments?

Will be the way to go. Just stop supporting big churches.