Posted on 09/04/2009 11:57:50 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Most Districts Make Viewing Optional for Students, but Some Are Tuning Out the President, Especially in GOP Strongholds
School districts across the nation are deciding whether to air President Barack Obama's back-to-school speech Tuesday, after what was billed as a motivational talk sparked the latest political protest against the White House.
Mr. Obama plans to encourage children to achieve their educational goals in a televised speech from a Virginia high school at noon Tuesday, according to the White House. Lesson suggestions to accompany the speech at first encouraged students to write letters to themselves about ways in which they could "help the president," stirring an outcry among some conservatives, who said the assignment was an effort to politicize children.
The materials were quickly revised, to encourage students to "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals." But the flap has persisted, drawing many phone calls to schools by parents and casting an unusual cloud of controversy in school districts over the annual ritual of launching the new school year.
The reaction against the speech has caused most schools to make viewing of the speech optional. In Mr. Obama's home state of Illinois, more than a dozen school districts won't air the speech. Chicago public school officials are offering alternate activities for children who don't watch the speech, after getting a mixed reaction from parents.
Lonny Lemon, superintendent of predominantly Republican Quincy Public School District 172 in Quincy, Ill., said dozens of callers were roughly split. "They were very passionate, pro or con," Mr. Lemon said. "There was no middle ground. I heard, 'This is socialistic,' 'It's going to be Hitler.' " Mr. Lemon's district schools will not air the speech.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Isn't that what teachers are paid for?
I think the Kenyan pirate has already lost this battle (& war, which was why he had to try this). I doubt any school district that isn’t centered around “Martin Luther King Boulevard” or “Shabazz High School” will be showing this, and this will help reinforce the differences our first post-racial “president” put behind us. BHO “acted stupidly” on this one, and there is no doubt in my mind that he has already been told by his people that he has no chance of re-election. The saddest thing is that our first “black” president (not .1% African-American, but 50% “typical” white, mind you) has made it clear with his fluent Arabic & stammering, teleprompted English that he is not one of us.
However, if we close the door to this president speaking to students, we are also closing the door to any future president speaking to students.
I've been seeing similiar comments on many forums for days now.
What is omitted is always the lesson plans. Why? That is the issue, not the address.
Have you not read what the Dept of Education has suggested teachers do? Are you aware the revised suggestions are just as offensive as the original ones?
These things are not difficult to find. They've been posted on this forum repeatedly.
Is that a bad thing?
The LA Times’ Tim Rutten is at Code 3 hysteria level this morning.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten5-2009sep05,0,4285184.column
Calls to boycott Obama’s speech to kids offer a disturbing lesson in paranoia
They can suggest whatever they wish, but teachers are not required to follow through on those suggestions. Now, if they were "directives" you may have a point, but like you said, they are only suggestions.
However, I imagine that when GHW Bush addressed the school children, the DOE also provided suggestions for teachers.
Actually, I believe each president should take one hour each year to address the students across the country. Of course the words should not be political, but instead focused on the importance of education, sobriety, goal setting.
So, I do not want Obama talking about healthcare and I do not want a future President Palin talking about abortion.
Yeah..let's pretend the NEA and its teachers are not the ground army of the DNC. Let's pretend the majority of teachers are not left wingers who can't stop themselves from doing what the Dept of Ed suggests regarding Obama's speech and more.
Good grief...Jimmy Carter created the Dept. of Educaton as a payoff to teachers and their unions. Who are you trying to kid here by hinting that "suggestions" from a entity created for the union/educrat complex won't be taken to heart by those in it?
It’s not the speech, it’s the “assignments” surrounding the speech that are the problem. Past Presidents weren’t trying to influence curriculum (which I believe is illegal...states rights, etc.)
My sister’s kids go to public school. Last year they were encouraged to write letters to Obama, but were warned not to infer any negativity in the letter. My sister raised Cain and her kids were excused from the exercise.
I’m sure there would have been no “disagreement” allowed in the classroom during the discussion of Obama’s speech.
And as far as not allowing future President’s to speak with school children, that’s okay in my book. Parents, not politicians, should be the ones who influence their kids.
Maybe it did. Find them.
Show us that the DOE sent out a missive suggesting teachers have kids write letters to themselves on how they could help President Bush.
I suspect you won't find it. But maybe you will.
Terrific. This is hitting home, hitting right at the heart of the liberal training camps. Now we have to push the case that its the NEA and the Dept of Ed which is the problem as much as Obama.
Van Jones and the rest of the Czars are really helping make the case that Obama and his educrats need to be kept away from children.
So, you would be okay with a president addressing school children as long as the DOE did not suggest any activities?
Why?
I disagree. There are specific elements about this address that make this issue controversial, considering what we know about Barack Obama. It's called making decisions, and adults do it all the time. The notion that all things, all sets and systems, are morally and ethically equal unto themselves, is simply nonsense, and we ought not give such faux reasoning validation.
Well yeah. I don’t see many having a problem with a President address school kids in a general way (which I’m sure Obama will do).
Obama overreached. He knows the true believers in the NEA will propagandize the kids. He didn’t have to have the Dept of Ed send out those instructions. But he did and got outted.
“I imagine that when GHW Bush addressed the school children, the DOE also provided suggestions for teachers.”
The key word here is “imagine”. Go find out.
>>” Mr. Obama plans to encourage children to achieve their educational goals...”
Isn’t that what teachers are paid for? <<
That’s my question. And what is the pricetag for this?
What issue is he going to talk about that is controversial? Do you think he is gong to talk about abortion or religion?
It's called making decisions, and adults do it all the time.
And adults made a decision last November.
The notion that all things, all sets and systems, are morally and ethically equal unto themselves, is simply nonsense, and we ought not give such faux reasoning validation.
Not nonsense at all, as either Obama or the people that object to him speaking to students will be setting precedence and either future presidents will speak to students or Obama's speech on Tuesday will be the last time any president makes such a speech.
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