Posted on 09/05/2009 6:31:04 AM PDT by Son House
"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. "I think both political parties agree that the dropout rate is something that threatens our long-term economic success."
But critics objected to the language of one of the lesson plans, for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 6, that suggested that students "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." Another assignment for students after hearing the speech was to discuss what "the president wants us to do."
The suggestion about writing letters has since been changed to: "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the changes to the language are intended to make the lesson plans clearer. He added that the president's speech will not be a policy speech, but is intended to encourage kids to work hard and commit to school.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, on Friday defended Obama's plan to address students.
"The bottom line is we need the president of the United States of America to use his bully pulpit to talk to kids about the importance of education and to help inspire kids," she said on radio station WOR in New York.
The White House plans to release the text of the speech online Monday so parents can read it. Obama will deliver the speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
^
They've scrapped the Bill Ayer's inspired draft
Weather Underground Bill Ayers, “Over throwing the Capitalist System, and put in something more humane”
Please explain to us what THIS line from the lesson plan was suppose to accomplish
Write a letter explaining what you can do to help the Presidnet."
I’ll tell you what’s silly - that Robert Gibbs makes $175,000 per year. There should be outrage over an incompetent boob making that kind of money at taxpayer expense.
The protestors are malicious right wing nutjobs.
All they can do is demonize their opponents.
Bottom rail on top ,,,,, not so easy ,,,, huh ?
It’s all a joke to these clowns. I watch them on tv with their ear to ear grins, chortling with contempt and arrogance while their desired crises mount minute by minute.
Now Gibbs is calling American parents concerned about their children ,”SILLY”. Nice diplomatic move you moron!
Gibbs is as stupid as his boss.
Everything Gibb’s says is silly, he is a clown who works for the clown in chief.
Whatever, Mr. Gibbs! We’ve proved that we can organize and mobilize, and put the brakes on your efforts, and it is just beginning!
The majority of America is putting you on notice. Your shenanigans are gonna come to an end.
You are being found out.
> Treating flippantly, We the People.
> Heaping upon yourselves lavish bonuses and perks.
> Conducting business to benefit the buddy buddy system.
> Open borders.
> Fiscal mismanagement.
Your elitist attitude will eventually bring you down.
Stupid, fatso Gibbs: Stay Away From America’s Children!
These lefties creep me out.
Robert Gibbs ignites some deep fiery anger in the depths of my being. It’s the smugness. I can tolerate almost anything except his level of smugness.
Let that sink in for a minute...
It must be “Silly Season” at the White House when there are much more crucial problems in America and all Obozo wants to do is chat with kids.
A Nation At Risk - April 1983
A Nation At Risk
All, regardless of race or class or economic status, are entitled to a fair chance and to the tools for developing their individual powers of mind and spirit to the utmost. This promise means that all children by virtue of their own efforts, competently guided, can hope to attain the mature and informed judgement needed to secure gainful employment, and to manage their own lives, thereby serving not only their own interests but also the progress of society itself. Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. This report is concerned with only one of the many causes and dimensions of the problem, but it is the one that undergirds American prosperity, security, and civility. We report to the American people that while we can take justifiable pride in what our schools and colleges have historically accomplished and contributed to the United States and the well-being of its people, the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur—others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments.
If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. We have even squandered the gains in student achievement made in the wake of the Sputnik challenge. Moreover, we have dismantled essential support systems which helped make those gains possible. We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament.
Our society and its educational institutions seem to have lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling, and of the high expectations and disciplined effort needed to attain them. This report, the result of 18 months of study, seeks to generate reform of our educational system in fundamental ways and to renew the Nation’s commitment to schools and colleges of high quality throughout the length and breadth of our land.
That we have compromised this commitment is, upon reflection, hardly surprising, given the multitude of often conflicting demands we have placed on our Nation’s schools and colleges. They are routinely called on to provide solutions to personal, social, and political problems that the home and other institutions either will not or cannot resolve. We must understand that these demands on our schools and colleges often exact an educational cost as well as a financial one.
On the occasion of the Commission’s first meeting, President Reagan noted the central importance of education in American life when he said: “Certainly there are few areas of American life as important to our society, to our people, and to our families as our schools and colleges.” This report, therefore, is as much an open letter to the American people as it is a report to the Secretary of Education. We are confident that the American people, properly informed, will do what is right for their children and for the generations to come.
Frankfurt School followers infiltrated public and higher education, the N.E.A. and many church denominations during the mid 1900’s. Those folks brought us sensitivity training and consensus building.
Their Marxist-socialist plan was indoctrination of youth over time, leading to an eventual vote that would turn America hard left. That was 11/4/8.
Search on “Frankfurt School”.
Saddam Hussein is back!
Presumeably, after this first ice-breaking speech to the impressionable minds of schoolchildren - aided and abetted by their NEA teachers and complete with detailed lesson plans from the Federal Dept of Ed and the White House - we can look forward to more, many more, of these "teachable moments" by Dear Leader.
Like, every week and eventually about every day. Just as we can't turn on the tv without seeing him yakking and listening to his minions and media sychophants, neither will the schoolkids be able to escape his omnipresence and wisdom in the classroom.
If compulsory public schools can do condoms, sex ed, multi-cultural studies, and GLBT all day, all the time, why not add in Dear Leader for more direction (and adoration) into their little empty lives?
“It must be “Silly Season” at the White House when there are much more crucial problems in America and all Obozo wants to do is chat with kids.”
Not only that, he/they also know that doing this may/would generate controversy especially at this juncture of his presidency and he/they did it anyway. He/they are solely responsible for the partisanship, the Silly Season and thus his/their declining approvals.
The Republican Party in Washington has done itself more good than harm by staying in the sidelines, keeping a low profile even when attacked with seldom participation on the State Run Networks.
No Randi, your fat and happy union teachers need their asses kicked in gear to properly do their job.
Obama is having a hard time with his agenda with this pesky INTERNET!
Gibbering Lib:”Oh Yeah? Well, Ronnie Rayguns and King George the 1st both made speeches to schoolkids and you guys didn’t think it was such a big deal back then! This uproar over Obama is just ignorant and SILLY!!”
AAP (Average American Person): “As far as I know their speeches didn’t come with government sanctioned lesson plans and the big difference-— most of us American citizens TRUSTED those guys and the office of President back then. We may have had strong disagreements with aspects of their policies, but we sincerely felt they had the best interests of the nation at heart Your guy Obama has totally corrupted and soiled the Presidency. His best interests are for him and him alone. So, yeah...of course we’re just a ‘wee-wee’ bit suspicious” ; )
Yes they do. I wonder how all those “Principled Conservatives” are enjoying the response to the “message they sent”?
Utterly appropriate, IMHO.
Personally, I have great sympathy for all WH Press Secretaries, for what they have to withstand. Of course, I think the Republican Administrations start off with a handicap but all of them have to stand up there and perform the kabuki dance of spinning the news.
I get the feeling that Mr. Gibbs is not quite the same happy fellow that he was in the earlier months of the 'honeymoon'. Anyone think that he will survive to 2012? Given the current trends I think that the WH Press Corps will resemble a starving wolf pack like it was for Bush.
Yes - that line is strange from a guy who continually says “it’s not about me”
Why wouldn’t the children write letters about how they could help THEMSELVES.
Anyways - are they asking kindergartenrs to write letters in the beginning of the school year? Really?
And asking young’uns about short term and long term goals? Really?
Where is the link to these lesson plans?
His smugness and arrogance reflect that of his boss.
This White House is full of condescending nasty a$$holes.
You know it is interesting the way the White House is just plain dismissive toward the American people.
They are condescending in a way that shows they believe they know more than regular Americans and that the typical American is just not that intelligent or informed.
They are patronizing, to the point of saying “Whatever” and then then they say “Speak to the hand”.
This how you inform and gain equal stature with the very people you are trying to influence?
Tell Them the are uninformed(code for not very smart)
“We need to use the Bully Pulpit...” What kind of retarded as sales pitch is that? If you are trying to influence people you don’t use “The Bully Pulpit”, you show yourself as a partner in whatever process you are trying to promote and garner more participants.
These guys view Americans as opposition and enemies. That makes them the opposition and enemy.
"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
"It's particularly silly, since this was supposed to be all about Ramadan and the destruction of Israel, and Death to the Infidel!"
********************
Exactly right.
Maybe he could limit his lectures on responsibility, staying in school, etc to his campaign appearances - I’m sure that the uneducated are disproportionately represented among his supporters.
And B.O. MUST counteract what the kids are hearing at home from their parents—disenchantment with the Muslim CIC and his policies.
Yes, that and his willingness to defend the indefensible. He reminds me of mean, nasty loser guys in high school who irritated the daylights out of the good, normal kids. He’s the guy you wanted someone to just knock the fool out of out behind the gym.
Maybe Gibbs should ask Obama if he would have objected if Sasha and Malia were told to answer to President Bush?
What a crumb bum--worst WH newsie EVER.
Tony Snow, wherever you are, we still miss you--YOU were the best!
vaudine
Just for starters, neigher Ronald Reagan nor George H. W. Bush was a raving commmunist. The same cannot be said for this president.
:’D
LOL!!!!!
Yea, I noticed the silence also....
“Yes they do. I wonder how all those “Principled Conservatives” are enjoying the response to the “message they sent”?
Yea, I noticed the silence also....”
Somehow, I don’t think we would be having the debate as to whether or not John McCain “supported and defended the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
And I seriously doubt hundreds of millions of dollars would have wound up in the hands of ACORN or SEIU.
And I also seriously doubt that he would have allowed the upcoming census to be manipulated so the right may never win another election in this country again, or that John McCain would be attacking the CIA and systematically blinding our intelligence gather capabilities from within our nation and accusing the last administration with essentially what amounts to war crimes.
Eight months into this administration and I really, really miss “W,” and I really wish McCain would have won. I actually fear for my country and my children because of the consequences of this last election. But, that is just my opinion.
What happens when having a Marxist as President is not funny anymore?...
If McCain would have won we would have eventually arrived at the same place only on a slower horse.
From what I am seeing it could end up that having Obama elected may have been a blessing in disguise. As painful as it is the American people are waking up quickly and becoming engaged. With the slow train to socialism it would have been so gradual people would have accepted it without much ado and kept plogging along. We were already on that course before Obama came into office.
McCain thinks that Obama is a good man and that he loves his country. McCain told us that there was nothing to fear from Obama as President. That leaves me two choices about McCain. Either he is a liar or he is delusional. Neither would make him a good President. Apparently he must agree with Obama enough to get out there and defend him against town hallers.
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