Some students in Emporia and area classes will watch President Barack Obama Tuesday as he addresses the nation’s school children about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school.
Obama’s speech has provoked a furor among some parents, with reactions that range from accusations that the president is using the opportunity to indoctrinate children, to organizing efforts to keep children home from school that day.
“I’ve had a handful of calls from parents who want to know whether we’re going to force children to watch it,” Emporia district superintendent John Heim said on Friday.
Watching the president speak will not be mandatory.
“Like anything,” Heim said, “if parents want to opt their kids out of a particular activity, they can do that.”
He said that the district does not have a formal policy on whether presidential speeches should be broadcasst.
“We have given our principals some guidance, and that is that teachers may want to use part or all of the speech, or the lesson plans that the White House has provided, if it fits into their curriculum.”
At Emporia High School, social science teacher Jay Adkins plans to offer the president’s speech to his seminar class and, if the speech lasts long enough, to his American government class at 11:10 a.m.
The President’s speech will begin at 11 a.m. Central time, a change from the original schedule.
On Friday, Adkins told his students that if their parents did not want them to watch it, they would be excused from participation.
“I really don’t know what the big deal is,” Adkins said. “I assume he’s going to talk about education and staying in school. ... You provide a better service to your country by staying in school.
“I tell this to my kids in government all the time that the country has become very political and we’ve polarized ourselves, and we just don’t respect some of our leaders because we personally don’t like them..”
That lack of respect is hindering the ability of the nation’s leaders to accomplish things that need to be done.
“I think that’s one of our problems. We just don’t compromise any more,” Adkins said. “Working together isn’t something they model very well.”
Students in Adkins’ class have been studying the birth of America, he said; creating the nation demanded compromises, because the founding patriots did not all see each issue identically. They compromised.
“We’re not doing it any more, and maybe that’s why our government has stagnated and we can’t get anything done any more,” he said. “... It’s too bad we can’t be more moderate type of society and listen to both sides, but politics has polarized us.”
After the president finishes his speech, Adkins said he will summarize the gist of the speech for his government students, and take time for the students to discuss what was said.
In the Southern Lyon County district, teachers also have the option to include Obama’s speech in the day’s plan.
Superintendent Mike Argabright was not available for comment on Friday; however, Hartford High School Principal Curtis Simons said that Argabright had forwarded information to the schools about the speech. The school’s history teacher was not available on Friday to comment on whether the speech would be used.
“It’s one of those things, when it comes to political views, you present things and you let the kids make their own decisions on things,” Simons said. “We educate kids to make wise, educated decisions.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the president’s speech will focus on the importance of education.
“During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school,” the Department of Education news release stated. “The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.”
North Lyon County Superintendent Mike Nulton could not be reached in time for comment.
The speech will be broadcast live on the White House Web site, http://www.whitehouses.gov/live/, and on C-SPAN at 11 a.m.
Materials for level-appropriate classroom activities have been prepared for grades kindergarten through 12 by the Teaching Ambassador Fellows, teachers-in-residence for the federal government, the DOE news release stated.
Students also may take part in the “I Am What I Learn” video contest, by creating videos up to two minutes in length to describe the steps they will take to improve their education, as well as the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams, the news release stated.
Students aged 13 and older are eligible to compete and upload their videos to YouTube by Oct. 8. Students are encouraged to have fun and to be creative with the project, the Web site stated.
The public will vote on their favorite submissions to determine the top 20 finalists. Those 20 videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges that will include U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The panel will choose three winners, who each will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Submissions may be in the form of video blogs, public service announcements, music videos or documentaries.
Information on the contest can be seen at www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn.
Additional information about the speech and auxiliary activities may be seen at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
The WALL STREET WIPEOUT of the middle class is the result of an education system that has no conscience. The fundamental problem of the American Educational System is the cult of Baal went underground after Jesus ministry, and it re-appeared as Humanism. When your education system has been subverted by a Satanic cult, you don't get more conspiratorial than that. What is HUMANISM that isn't good for kids? It's anti-God. It places man above God! And that's a big mistake. Humanism is the orgin of "feel good" liberalism. They want people to feel good about themselves; They want them to have more self-esteem. Well you have self-esteem by having character: By having integrity. By producing something of value to the world. Self esteem "without" the character, and "without" the value-you produce a bunch of white collar criminals. One thing the President might share with the kids, no one has compleated his education who has not learned to live with an insoluble problem and most of the time that problem concerns economics. Another thing he might want to say, "When you find yourself in an economic hole of your own making, it is usually a wonderful time to look around and examine the quality of the workmanship. One last thought, the things you learn in life after you think you know it all, is what really counts.
September 5, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gabby (anonymous) says...
http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
More information.
September 5, 2009 at 5:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
From your link:
"President Obama will deliver a national address to students on September 8 at noon ET. He will challenge students to work hard, set education goals, and take responsibility for their learning."
OHHH NOOOOO!!!
My spin:
"President Reagan/Bush will deliver a national address to students on September 8 at noon ET. He will challenge students to work hard, set education goals, and take responsibility for their learning."
Oh how inspirational!
September 5, 2009 at 6:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"My spin:
"President Reagan/Bush will deliver a national address to students on September 8 at noon ET. He will challenge students to work hard, set education goals, and take responsibility for their learning."
Oh how inspirational!"
"According to The Washington Post, in an Oct. 3, 1991, article, one critic said, “The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students. And the president should be doing more about education than saying, ‘Lights, camera, action.’”
The criticism came from Richard A. Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat and U.S. House majority leader at the time."
Apparently the dems back then didn't spin it that way. You far far left liberals always only see it one way and then complain when the other team does the same. Of course the other team does the same. "A pox on both your houses."
September 5, 2009 at 7:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Democrats complain when Republicans do it. Republicans complain when Democrats do it. Somehow now the Democrats are offended that some Republicans are doing what they did back in 91. LOL
September 5, 2009 at 8:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Really? I could have complained about the past, but it seems to be absent from my posts, guess sitting on the fence nets me more than a few splinters.
September 5, 2009 at 8:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoehorn (anonymous) says...
Perhaps parents are concerned that it will be like this film that school administrators at Eagle Bay Elementary School in Farmington, Utah, showed to young students at an Aug 28 school assembly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1...
Mr. Adkins comment stating that we are too polarized and that we just don't compromise anymore made me chuckle. I don't see how our country was doing a better job of compromising at 4:30 A.M., April 12th, 1861.
September 5, 2009 at 9:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
About 80% of going to school is just simply showing up and making friends with the smartest kids in class. Wood Bloxom let us grade our own papers. One day He said, Mr. Reddog and Mr. Smith had this answer for question number nine; Mr. Reddog said, "I don't know" and Mr. Smith on his paper was written, I DON'T KNOW EITHER.
September 6, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
I hope our president will quote Abraham Lincoln, who said, "Always bear in mind your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing."
September 6, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coldhardtruth (anonymous) says...
Obama should personally visit and deliver his education speech to one of those ignorant partisan Texas elementary schools. While they are at it, why not schedule his visit for next Friday, 9/11, in the morning. And schedule time for him to read My Pet Goat to one of the classes. All of it.
September 6, 2009 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
I wish our kids could ask the President questions like Mr President, "Do you believe that the big banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies?" Thomas Jefferson said this in a letter to John Adams, Mr President is this even more true today? -------KIDS say the darnes't things. I can't spell his name but it sounds like Art Linkletter, he would be the host and the whole nation would be both entertained and spellbound. Perhaps, one of Chris and Ashley's kid's might E-MAIL a question to the President.
September 7, 2009 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )