I have already written Patrick and G's respective schools to opt them out of this, the President's speech to be given to America's school children at noon EST on the 8th of September. In my opinion, the nation's public schools do not need to be a political platform for the president to foist his agenda on young minds. Complete with a teaching guide from the government! Intolerable.
I know... what is on the "agenda" is a short rah-rah speech to "start the year strong" and has nothing whatsoever to do with politics, but it's just to encourage parents, teachers and students to work together and become competitive in the global marketplace and blah blah blah. Whatever. I'm pretty sure we all know there is a definite political agenda behind it all, however, and I just don't think that children should be pawns in all that. From the website:
"Since taking office, the President has repeatedly focused on education, even as the country faces two wars, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and major challenges on issues like energy and health care. The President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy. Educated people are more active civically and better informed on issues affecting their lives, their families and their futures."
That doesn't sound political at all, does it? LOL
Maybe my children will be the only ones opted out, just as they are made to feel that they are the only ones opted out of some of the "health" teachings. But I know I am not alone in feeling as I do. In my opinion, airing the inauguration as though he were being crowned the new King was bad enough.
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
First I've heard of this. We talk to our kids a great deal so they're pretty politically astute. Not sure if we should opt out of this or not, because truly, there's not much that'll be said that can move them at this point.
ReplyDeleteI know we live in a different state, but is there any reprting where you live to indicate that the kids will see this speech live?
I'm not sure how politically astute my children are. I know G doesn't understand any nuance very well. Patrick? Would be fine hearing about whatever, but...
ReplyDeleteIt disturbs me that this guy is wanting to speak to MY children during their instruction time... about how important it is for them to be in school... while he's interrupting school... LOL
I feel like he's circumventing my parental authority to do it by using the public schools. I feel as though he is using my tax dollars that could be better used to teach chemistry, algebra, etc.
It's just a bad precedent.
I understood Sept. 11 news coverage and I get why some people think this last inauguration was so important. BUT... it goes a bit far for me.
Maybe I'm just a distrustful sort and am afraid of them passing out red books after? I'd have been *annoyed* if Bush did this, but probably not bother to do the opt-out. Sometimes you just make a decision b/c it feels like the right thing to do.
At least *for now,* I am still the parent and get to make my own mistakes if I'm making one here. :p
I've left a note in the inboxes, Terry, but am not sure if the schools will actually broadcast this. I would tend to think they would if they were asked.
More here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/02/critics-decry-obamas-lesson-plan-students/
Ohhhh...
ReplyDeleteNow I get it. Thanks for the link. The speech didn't bother me too much. But all this talk of educational "activities" to accompany the speech and encourage the children to "help advance the vision", that is a big problem for me.
Like you, I vote NO.
Yep. That's exactly it. It seems to me that government should take its cues from US, not the other way around, yk? When you get into lesson plans from our beloved chairman, I'm outtie LOL.
ReplyDeleteSeems that way, Mrs. K! But at least *so far,* generally speaking we have not had difficulty opting our children out of the more outrageous things in public school.
ReplyDeleteThe trick is, you have to know they're coming beforehand, and you can't always do that.
It's actually an old-fashioned and very conservative message about the value of working hard to learn and get a traditional education, respect Authority, be productive, learn civics and serve your country et cetera (not my style but I thought YOU GUYS would adore it! I'd rather have a Harry Potter party in the school library, with witch and wizard costumes!))
ReplyDeleteHere's how I blogged it earlier, complete with links to the evil one-world-order communist china discussion guides:
He will indoctrinate the children with his evil anti-American values? Glenn Beck could be right! What if Obama's "Chavez administration" will "seize power" with its "civilian military" ??
Read it and decide for yourselves what you think. Here's the announcement letter and you can download the school resource discussion guides here.
*************
In a recent interview with student reporter Damon Weaver, President Obama announced that on September 8 -- the first day of school for many children across America -- he will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of education. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.
He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens.
Since taking office, the President has repeatedly focused on education, even as the country faces two wars, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and major challenges on issues like energy and health care. The President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy. Educated people are more active civically and better informed on issues affecting their lives, their families and their futures.
This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school. We encourage you to use this historic moment to help your students get focused and begin the school year strong. I encourage you, your teachers, and students to join me in watching the President deliver this address on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. It will be broadcast live on the White House website www.whitehouse.gov 12:00 noon eastern standard time.
In advance of this address, we would like to share the following resources: a menu of classroom activities for students in grades preK-6 and for students in grades 7-12. These are ideas developed by and for teachers to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives. We are also staging a student video contest on education.
lol I do remember any excuse to be opted out of actual lessons was a welcome relief. I mean seriously. Would any child on this earth actually pay attention to that? How silly!
ReplyDeleteJJ, saw that discussion guide before I posted. Maybe it's just Obama wanting to say "hi, have a great school year" to the kids. Maybe it isn't. We won't know until he gives the speech. :]
ReplyDeleteI must say I had a reaction a little further down than this Beck fellow's. I've never heard him before, but he does make sense. I'd take it a step further and say that I don't wonder that he isn't going to announce retooling of Teach for America or JobCorps or something like that and really get those "boots on the ground." He has a lot of "stimulus money" to spend.
Who knows? There is a reason Obama is advocating for children to be tuned in to this "historic moment." Even a "benign" proposal for teachers, parents and students to "work together" would be enough to freak me out. But only because he said it.
At least with Harry Potter? I can say it's pretend.
Ganeida, lessons like this make me nervous. :P
Wow. Had no idea. All this time I thought we just disagreed politically but shared common (all-American) education and citizenship goals for our kids.
ReplyDeleteI seem to have stumbled into the wrong room.
Mrs. C--I like Obama (this is the first time I ever voted for a democrat, if you want the truth), but I can appreciate your discomfort. The fact of the matter is, whether we like it or not, if our kids are in public school then they are going to be subject all kinds of viewpoints that are different and sometimes directly opposed to ours. It does always not sit well with me, but it is a fact of life.
ReplyDeleteYou know what frosts me more than this? Military recruiters having access to my teens. By law the school has to let them in and I get absolutely no say in the matter. They are required to take the ASVAB. I get no say in that either. The recruiters call our house and ignore our requests that they stop. They only stopped after Jeremiah graduated from high school and he told them he was going to college. Now they are calling Daniel . . .
Oh, honestly, some of the comments here make me very nervous! NO--we do not have to accept that our children are going to learn view points we don't like. Is it just me or have a great many Americans forgotten that in America we have the freedom to say NO? We can teach our children ourselves or find a private school that better suits our beliefs and goals for our kids. I would opt out of this and you can bet it is not a non-political speech. I really believe Obama is hoping that people will continue to sit around and do nothing, hoping for the best, while our civil liberties are violated and our rights trampled on. I almost voted for him and I am dyed in the wool Republican--if the election been held long about Feb of 2008 he would have had my vote. Glad I came to my senses. I'm just praying for the next big congressional elections in hopes that its not too late.
ReplyDeleteOPT OUT! Just say No to political indoctrination of your children. Thanks for sharing this Mrs. C--I hadn't seen this yet.
sigh . . .
ReplyDelete"It does not always sit well . . ."
JJ, I remain the same as ever. But I DISTRUST Obama. If he were to release the content of the speech ahead of time, my anxiety might be a bit relieved. But he didn't. And there are hints that this is an "historic" speech, which leads me to wonder what he has up his sleeve. (Grant you, my wonderings can be "creative" sometimes.)
ReplyDeleteHe has said all kinds of things before the election about working with the other party, etc. that he didn't really mean. You know... if it were our (Missouri) Democratic governor, or someone BESIDES Obama in the presidency? Maybe I would feel differently.
But if your children were in public school, would you want, say, John Hagee teaching your children lessons in "citizenship?"
I hope you don't leave, but this guy *does* scare me. I don't think I've ever pretended otherwise.
Mary and Bonnie, I think what is going on is that Mary is expressing that when your kids are in ps. there are different sorts of teachers, viewpoints, etc. near your kids and you CANNOT control all the variables. That's a given. And I can't say that at this point I want to teach chemistry or the cello, because I would do very poorly at it.
That being said, yes, we SHOULD have some say-so in whether our children hear a "message" like this, and whether they learn about sex in health. You can't cherry-pick your way out of every sentence you don't like in the curriculum, but stuff like this or individual projects, I think the school should respectfully work with families AND vice-versa.
Never let it be said of JJ that stopped learning. I was sorry to learn this but like it or not, it's better to know and understand than not. Always.
ReplyDeleteMy NT son is trying the public school this year. I started reading the lesson plan at the Department of Education website in my most bland, sugary voice. He said, "Mom, stop it! You remind me of Professor Umbridge!"
ReplyDeleteHe has precalculus that period. When you have four months to cram two semesters of precalculus into this stupid idea called block scheduling, every minute is precious. I am not sure of what his school will be doing yet.
I can't decide if he will be conveniently tardy from the appointment I set up for him to get his passport renewed over his lunch hour OR if we send him to school with The Fallacy Detective, which has several lessons on propaganda . . . hmm . . . will it be snob appeal or bandwagon?
Oh, I checked out the classroom activities at their website. http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.pdf
It does NOT pass Charlotte Mason's twaddle test . . . http://simplycharlottemason.com/2009/09/02/what-is-twaddle/
I talked my son about the recruiters. I used to be in Navy recruiting and there won't be any problem. If they call my house, I will tell them that I used to be the Enlisted Programs Officer and my son does not have the authority to buy. He is going to college on our dime and maybe some scholarship money. They can call us back in two years. Period. End of story.
Tammy, email the school to see when/if they will schedule this. You would hate for your son to be conveniently absent that day just to find out they, say, schedule the airing for all history classes or whatever.
ReplyDeleteMy son G's school will air it during history class, and Patrick's will air it during "whatever" is during sixth hour of the day. I agree they really don't have time for this.
I know this isn't what is happening today. But think about the little story below, really think about it.
ReplyDeleteDo we really want the government in our schools. Education should be controlled by the states, not by the White House.
home.comcast.net/~llefler/clavell.htm
We the People ! ( have had enough, if you aren't concerned, you should be )
lol I do remember any excuse to be opted out of actual lessons was a welcome relief. I mean seriously. Would any child on this earth actually pay attention to that?
ReplyDelete