Complaints made to schools about Obama speech
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Obama will urge students to take responsibility for their success in school.
THE PRESIDENT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL MESSAGE:
• Read the White House school and media resource guide
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama will deliver a back-to-school address to the nation's students about taking responsibility for their success in school.
But that's not sitting well with some people in central Virginia.
School officials in Powhatan County have opted not to broadcast the speech, said Debbie M. Jones, vice chairwoman of the county's School Board. She referred more specific questions to Superintendent Margaret S. Meara, but attempts to reach her yesterday were unsuccessful.
In Henrico County, staff members at the school central office have fielded more than a dozen telephone complaints about the district's plan to show the Obama address, as well as several more by e-mail and an unknown number at individual schools, spokesman Mychael Dickerson said.
He said the county would make the speech available but won't require any school to show it or any student to watch it.
"We view this as a message from the president in his role as the president of the United States, not as a political speech," Dickerson said. "But out of respect to our parents, students can opt out."
He said he had sent two e-mails to county principals advising them on how to handle calls and what their options would be for showing the speech.
"Please be aware of parental requests for students to opt out of any viewing of this presentation from the president of the United States and plan accordingly for their supervision," one of the notes said.
In Chesterfield County, Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome and his top staff are meeting today to formulate a plan, spokesman Shawn Smith said.
Smith said the county had received numerous phone calls about the speech, with callers voicing objections to and support of Obama's address.
Felicia Cosby, spokeswoman for Richmond schools, said yesterday afternoon that the school system still was deciding how best to broadcast the speech but that it would be available. She said students would be allowed to opt out of watching it.
City parents will be notified of the speech -- and the fact that viewing is optional -- via an automated phone message.
Virginia Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle said the department sent a note to school divisions yesterday after receiving some calls about whether students are required to watch Tuesday's broadcast.
The message indicated the decision to air the address was a matter to be decided by principals and teachers, and that teachers were free to develop their own follow-up classroom activities from the speech.
It also said "schools that choose to participate in the webcast are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations for students whose parents may object to the viewing of the speech by their children during the school day."
Hanover County schools spokewoman Dale Theakston said the division will allow students to opt out of watching the address. She said parents need to call their child's principal to ask for other accommodations.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke is scheduled to appear for the viewing at a Richmond school, Cosby said. Details of that visit are pending, she said.
Obama will address students at Arlington County's Wakefield High School at noon. The speech will be broadcast live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN; most local districts plan to show it at 1 p.m. The White House also will make available resources for discussing the speech.
Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or
.
Staff writers Holly Prestidge and Jeremy Slayton contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
“In Henrico County, staff members at the school central office have fielded more than a dozen telephone complaints… “
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There are 48,822 students enrolled in Henrico Public Schools. 12 “complaints” which may or may not have come from actual parents is not a statistically significant number out of nearly 50k total students. I think the Disgrace is over-reporting this pet issue of theirs.
Obamas speech in itself is not the problem and probably a good thing for the kids. It’s the added agenda by the Federal Department of Education with their “suggested” programs for pre-K through 6th grade and the 7th grade up. This is nothing more than a brainwashing and indoctrination ploy by the feds. Maybe Obama had nothing to do with it. We will never know but he sure could have prevented it.
Its stuff like this that make me hate our 2-party system. I used to think only liberals acted in the way these conservatives are acting over something that is clearly positive and clearly in the national interests of our country. How a 30 minute speech to school-age kids about responsibility by a president who broke barriers could be viewed as negative is simply beyond me. Both conservatives and liberals suck, they need to both go away!
Who is brainwashing who? A president speaking to students is a well established custom. These objections are nothing more than a very thin veil masking hatred. Republicans are mass marketing ‘hatred’ and the students will learn by this example. If you scream loud enough you can drown out free speech. ‘Gripe’ radio pounds out the mantra and the brainless ‘lemmings’ shout in unison.
Jack,
It would have been very helpful to post the link to your quote, but even more helpful had you connected the quote to anything Obama has said. Implication is not explication.
John Wagner
Shew! It sure it great that our English language is so vast. I’m losing count on the name calling here. Let’s see
Messiah
Cult
Marxist
Socialist
Brainwashing
Brain control
Censor the evil one
Fear mongering
Liberal pig
How about President of the United States? Don’t agree with him on his policies? Shall name calling or fear win the day or do you actually have a well thought out idea to offer on each of his policies? Was he not elected by the majority of voters? Isn’t this a democracy? So now, your kids cannot hear from their own President. How sorry can you be?
Censorship, putting down the opposition for their beleifs, categorizing all people who disagree with your philosophy of life, sporting huge automatic weapons at events when the President appears, using intimidation… what does that remind you of??? I’m thinking you want us all in concentration camps next! Good luck with that one.
I pay for education and have no one from my household currently in the school system. Should I not continue to pay for kids to be educated? Should we now only have those who need the service pay? If not, then why shouldn’t we make healthcare available to all? If yes, then go right ahead and make my day!
Come on people. Wake up. It’s 2009! Let’s raise the bar just a tad on this debate, okay? God Bless our country and may his patience with those who hate withstand these evil thoughts.
It is not Obama speaking to the kids that is the problem. It’s the “baggage” attached by the government education department to brainwash the kids with their agenda for principles and teachers for K-6th grade and 7th to 12. Has anyone commenting read these. They are pure government brainwashing designed to instill love for the Messiah Obama.
From the socialist democrats of America website: It spells out what Obama and his socialist democrats real agenda consists of. Capturing our kids. Pay attention to the last sentence: “The conservative myth on the virtues of free markets”.
What can young people do to move the US towards socialism?
Since the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s, young people have played a critical role in American politics. They have been a tremendous force for both political and cultural change in this country: in limiting the US’s options in the war in Vietnam. in forcing corporations to divest from the racist South African regime, in reforming universities, and in bringing issues of sexual orientation and gender discrimination to public attention. Though none of these struggles were fought by young people alone, they all featured youth as leaders in multi-generational progressive coalitions. Young people are needed in today’s struggles as well: for universal health care and stronger unions, against welfare cuts and predatory multinational corporations.
Schools, colleges and universities are important to American political culture. They are the places where ideas are formulated and policy discussed and developed. Being an active part of that discussion is a critical job for young socialists. We have to work hard to change people’s misconceptions about socialism, to broaden political debate, and to overcome many stndents’ lack of interest in engaging in political action. Off-campus, too, in our daily cultural lives, young people can be turning the tide against racism, sexism and homophobia, as well as the conservative myth of the virtue of “free” markets.
Dave, re your September 04, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Have you actually read Randy’s posts? If you actually believe his comments are unrealistic, you must be the one smoking something.
Re-read Randy’s posts @1:19pm and 4:26pm (9/4/09), and comment on those.
Dave - you haven’t put forward any ideas today, bub. You haven’t added anything of value to the discussion today, bub. You’re in the minority, out of the mainstream and you’re most likely not as wealthy as you say bub.
Don’t like what I say? Don’t read it bub. Think my stuff is nonsense, bub? Don’t read it. Don’t like talking to me, bub? Then stop, bub.
Really, experience tells me that you’re either remarkably insecure or you’re hitting on me - either way, you’re being pathetic and childish. Sorry, I’m not interested - you’re not my type if you know what I mean.
Wow, Randy. You’re really out there. Get a grip on reality. And if you really want me to take anything you have to say seriously, you might want to avoid words like “bub”. Who says that? Why don’t you and Dandy Andy go have a camp fire somewhere, smoke some more of whatever you’re on, and talk nonsense to each other…because I don’t want to hear it.
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