The notice my nieces' school district sent out about Obama's message (I am proud)

[Berry Cool]

I will not identify the school district here, but will simply say it is in Ohio:

Dear Parent/Guardian:

As you may be aware through national media advertisement, President Obama has announced a live broadcast for students throughout the United States on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at noon. The following details have been released on the White House website, www.whitehouse.gov

(details snipped)

Based upon the information released from the White House and the United States Department of Education, we believe this broadcast is intended to stress the importance of students taking responsibility for their education. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

Our teaching staff will elect how they wish to approach this broadcast, as they do with other curricular choices, based upon their curriculum and the learning needs of their students. We recognize the role our parents and guardians play in supporting the ongoing education of their loved ones. We thank you for the support and encouragement you provide daily within your family for the success of our learners and ultimately of our country.

(signed)
Superintendent

_______________

I like this. While it's being left up to teachers to decide what to do, the information on the live broadcast is there, and the superintendent makes it clear that she (it's a she) understands that the presentation will be about education and nothing else. She also sets a tone suggesting that parental hysteria has NOT and WILL not affect the schools' decision about how students will be exposed to the message, by giving no quarter whatsoever to any suspicions whatsoever that the message is about anything else, or that the groundless concerns of any parent will be seriously considered by the schools as a reason to restrict student access to the message.

Bravo! :applause:

[1Hippiechick]

1. Bravo!

Edited to add K&R :applause:

[Ten Bears]

2. That is good

Unfortunately here is what the director at my children's school district had to say:

Wilson County Schools Director Mike Davis said in a statement issued to the district's principals: "We have received some phone calls about viewing upcoming speeches. At this time we feel it is more important for your teachers to protect our instructional time by focusing on teaching the content standards. If they wish, the students will have an opportunity to view the speech at home later with their parents who can discuss it with them at that time."

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090904/NEWS02/909040357

[Cha]

3. Thanks, Berry..I have

to wonder what Pres Obama is thinking about all of this? Probably saw it coming.

[cyndensco]

20. Do you really believe President Obama saw this coming?

I am one who usually expects the worst when it comes to race relations and THIS shit has left me totally dumbfounded. I wonder if the most hardened, Reverend Wright-like, black person could begin to imagine the disrespect Obama, the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, has faced.

I hope he was prepared for such a constant backlash. I hope he is sitting in the Oval Office laughing at the assholes. I laughed at first but it is getting W-A-Y more ugly than I expected. It is not funny anymore - it hurts. I hope he is okay.

[MichiganVote]

4. I think its baloney. Teachers seldom decide the curricular choices.

All it does is remove the responsibility from the district to the teachers. Why not just say, we're watching it. Period.

[Cha]

7. Good point..but, President Obama is a special case,

doncha know.

[MichiganVote]

9. They're cowards. All of them. Is is disgraceful to censure a president form the classroom.

[Berry Cool]

8. True, that would be even better

and would prevent some nutty teacher from forbidding his or her class to watch...but the tone is set from the top down.

I think this sends a strong message to the teachers: Don't get ants in your pants. If you choose not to let your class watch this live, the superintendent is going to say it left the decision up to the teachers, but is not going to enthusiastically back your antsiness. Note that no mention of the "controversy" was even made that would suggest such an attitude will be encouraged. Rather, the overall message is: "This presentation will, we understand, be positive, encouraging and apolitical. Teachers will decide how to use it in their classrooms with that in mind."

[MichiganVote]

11. It is sheer politics on the part of the superintendent I assure you.

[GoCubsGo]

16. Yup. My local district is doing the same

The teachers can show the speech "if it relates to the course." Hmmmmm... Doesn't "study hard and do your homework" relate to ALL courses? I doubt they'll see it that way. This is South Carolina, after all.

[Papagoose]

5. My school district is not showing it

They sent home a notice to let us know that it would not be shown to students. Our local paper reports that the school district was receiving a lot of calls from parents concerned that it would be shown and wanted their children excused from school on Wednesday. My neighbor truly, honestly believes that this is an "indoctrination video" to enlist children in a secret marxist/muslim/communist/nazi army. I'm in a hotel out of town this weekend at a soccer tournament where I learned I am the ONLY Democrat out of 16 families. This afternoon I was told that the President is building a civilian army to take over the country and that Wednesday's speech is the first step is building a new Hitler Youth.

Whatever, I'm so sick of these people. I'm just too tired to keep arguing sometimes.

[Cha]

6. What a debilitating downer..I would

get the hell out of there.

[Trajan]

10. The RWers will lie through their teeth, again and again ....

I wonder if it was an 'indoctrination video' when George H. W. Bush did it ? ... Ronald Reagan ?

Fucking hypocrites ....

As an aside: Move away from there ....

One Democrat out of 16 ? .... I could not do that ...

[boppers]

12. Hitler youth? REALLY?

Holymotherfuckingshit.

Either they've really lost perspective, or... uhm...

Okay, I'm not coming up with a decent "or", here.

I suppose if I was confronted with such ignorance, I'd probably take a half hour and explain The Holocaust to them, and make sure they understood the difference between millions of people being raped and shot in the streets... and a TV program.

[YvonneCa]

17. That was the topic of discussion yesterday on...

...
Glenn Beck's show, with Rush as guest.(I know, I know :) ) It was awful..all made up lies. I'm for free speech, but isn't inciting a crowd to riot against the law?

Something needs to be done.

[Duer 157099]

13. Thank you. Can I send that to my son's school?

The message they sent me was not as good and I'd like them to see what I consider to be a better approach.

[fadedrose]

14. At last, a good thing happened

R

[Phx_Dem]

15. It's nice when adults are in charge. n/t

[Honeycombe8]

18. So Republican teachers won't show it, but Democratic and maybe Indies will? How is that good?

Leaving it up to individual teachers to show it based upon whatever they want to base it on?

That sounds weird. It's a Presidential address. Reagan's was shown. Bush Sr.'s was shown. But the black guy's...well, we'll (wink wink) leave it up to the teachers. So you parents can strong arm the teachers not to show it, if you want. Or you teachers who are anti-Obama, feel free not to show the President's speech.

Bad guidance, IMO.

[Amos Moses]

19. It's good to see people in charge thinking rationally.

A K&R for them.