There's been an angry cry from conservative parents this week regarding Obama's speech to school children. He plans to deliver this speech on Tuesday and word is the text will be available on Monday for parents to review.
In my own school district, they've decided to let individual teachers make the call whether or not to show the speech. I won't be showing it in my classroom because I have a scheduled quiz and a curriculum to meet. In an age where every single school minute of the day is counted and documented, I don't have 20 minutes to spare for Obama.
I'm often accused of being too naive and trusting, but I don't believe he will use this speech to indoctrinate. If all he's going to do is give a pep talk to children to stay in school and study hard, that's fine. I think he could find a way to do it without taking away from instructional time, but I'd be shocked that with his tanking poll numbers and approval ratings if he spent the time pushing his agenda.
But he's shocked me before. And often.
At any rate, he's created an uproar across the country once again. It's all about him. Attention, attention, attention.
The man is an egomaniac.
5 comments:
i am glad you arent my kids teacher. think of the opportunity to tie this to something constructive whether you agree or disagree.
Yeah! It's not like the first George H.W. Bush ever took classroom time away to talk to children about staying in school. And there is no way that George W. Bush ever took time to address students, am I right? That's blasphemy!
Speeches to students from Presidents about the importance of staying in school have no place in our society.
Although the real major crux of the issue is that students shouldn't ever listen to anyone with whom they or their parents disagree.
I'm glad I'm not in the position to have to make the decision of having my child watch Obama or not watch Obama. Even if I were in that postion, the answer would have been NO!
Now had the speech been part of a history class, assuming the speech was of such a historical magnitude, like the speech Obama made a coupld of months ago that was suppose to be rated right up there with the Gettysburg Address...
Funny, no body talks about that speech any more. Shoot! Maybe it wasn't of the same caliber of the Gettysburg Address after all.
It's amazing how some people are still being bamboozled by Obama.
@ Anon #1
Furthermore, I'm sure she's glad that you are not a former student, since you are seeming unable to use capital letters.
As has been explained in any number of posts in this blog and elsewhere, people are unhappy not with the concept of a presidential speech, but rather the scripted workbook included for after the speech that contains little disturbing focus group questions like this:
"What do you think the President wants us to do?"
"Does the speech make you want to do anything?"
"Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?"
Along with this charming activity: "Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."
Pile this on with the Ashton Kutcher "I Pledge" video (shown at a school assembly in Utah) in which various celebrties all "pledge to be a servant to our president" (obviously to Obama-- they sure weren't pledging equivalent servitude to Bush) and maybe you can see a difficulty.
The president serves us. He is a servant of the people and is accuntable to the electorate. He is a leader, not a ruler. We do not need to be prodded to serve him-- no matter who he is. Obama crossed a line with these questions and activities that betray a tacit presumption that students are to serve their president.
Obama's tired out "be cool, stay in school" message is trivial. The potential message of go out and do things to serve or promote my agenda (a community organizer would never suggest that-- oh wait that's his job description--) is something to worry about.
Anonymous
"think of the opportunity to tie this to something constructive whether you agree or disagree." Why ever would a competent teacher need any help from Obama to be a constructive influence?
Why do you need a stranger to take you by the hand and show you the way? Are you lost? And if you are, why not learn the way yourself rather than taking chances by trusting strangers?
Post a Comment