Hanover, Henrico counties shift plans on showing Obama speech
Henrico County added to its Web site yesterday a statement that said Obama’s address can be shown in schools Tuesday, but that parents must be contacted first by teachers.
MICHAEL PAUL WILLIAMS COLUMN: Let the children hear Obama
Two more Richmond-area school divisions have changed their plans for Tuesday's daytime presidential address.
Hanover County sent e-mail notices and phone messages yesterday to parents saying the district has decided not to show President Barack Obama's address during the school day on Tuesday but instead will record it and provide the speech and its supplemental instructional materials for teachers to use later, schools spokeswoman Dale Theakston said.
"Our complete energies must be directed to promoting a productive beginning to the school year for our teachers and children," the message said. "It is important to support the establishment of new routines and a smooth opening at this pivotal moment."
Likewise, Henrico County added to its Web site yesterday a statement that said Obama's address can be shown in schools Tuesday, but that parents must be contacted first by teachers. That means teachers would have to reach parents during the long holiday weekend, before the first day of classes Tuesday.
"If they choose to use the message in class, they MUST inform parents, in advance, and give them the choice to opt-out of having their child view the address," the message said. "No teacher is to show the [Obama speech] without contacting parents first so that parents' wishes are heard and respected."
Hanover joins Chesterfield and Powhatan counties' school divisions in deciding not to show the speech at 1 p.m. Some districts around the country also have opted not to show the speech when it airs.
Richmond city schools still plan to show the speech when it airs at 1 p.m. The state Department of Education this week recommended that "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 School Board Chairman John F. Axselle III said after hearing from parents on both sides of the issue, it came down to the reality of what happens on the first day of school.
"The first day of school is just not a good day to do it," he said. "There's enough challenges on the first day."
He said the school division respects the office of the president but said politics are better left outside the classroom.
"We have kindergartners learning how to go to the cafeteria," he said. "Let's keep the children in focus. We don't need to add any more challenges" on the first day.
Henrico School Board Chairman John Montgomery Jr. said the school division's approach is a good one and allows teachers the flexibility to show the president's speech when it can best fit into their lessons. "One size doesn't fit all," he said.
Martha Walker and Kirby Pierce, both parents from Glen Allen and former elementary school teachers, said they would prefer that the president's speech be broadcast at night or during the holiday weekend, when families can watch it together and then discuss it.
"It shouldn't be the right of the school system to make a decision about what students do or do not see," said Walker, who has a first-grader in Henrico schools.
University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato said the uproar that's come from the address is "proof positive that we remain a deeply polarized country, in political terms."
Republicans do not trust a Democratic president and vice versa, he said, and "that's a great shame, because so much of the presidency is supposed to be unifying."
Yesterday, presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs pointed out that two Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, delivered similar speeches to students.
"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," he said. "I think both political parties agree that the dropout rate is something that threatens our long-term economic success."
He said Obama's speech will not be partisan but rather a chance for children to get "a little encouragement as they start the school year."
The White House plans to release the speech online Monday so parents can read it. Obama will deliver the speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington County.
Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or
.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
I don’t remember a meltdown re Bush I’s speech. Maybe it’s just faulty memory, but somehow I don’t think there was anything like the gnashing of teeth, outrage and whining we’ve had the last week or so. I also don’t think Obama is more political than any number of Republican and Democratic administrations. He’s just more effective than some, particularly the last one. Know what I think? I think some Conservatives don’t want kids to see that this black president is smart, helpful, friendly, engaging. If that’s the case, yes, it’s fear and it’s racism.
According to the White House and the Department of Education both the speech and the possibly illegal study/guide have been “amended” considerably since the controversy began.
Mr. Obama would be the first to deny any racial element in this.
Anybody who thinks that this is not politically motivated has been living in a cave for the past few years.
This is the most politically motivated
administration in the history of the country.
They do NOTHING without an eye to their political advantage.
And for all of you who keep bringing up other presidents who have done this.
You might try to recall that when George Bush 1 presented almost the same speech, he spent $27,000 and the Democrats in congress had a melt down and accused him of spending public money for “political gain.“
How much public money do you imagine this fiasco has cost?
And what are they going to do with the information learned from the kiddie poll?
If you people think that the only reason that people did not vote for Obama was because of racism then is it not part of that faulty logic to assume that the only reason people did vote for him is racism?
Neither one is correct.
i find it interesting that once the speech came out there has been very little opposition to it, at least voiced, other than just the disturbance of the day (i will give people that one for why not to show it when it airs but not as a permanent excuse)
it has really just seemed that the far right always temper tantrum about what could be the worst case scenario fro their side and claim that to be what will happen so they can have their way… sounds like a 3 year old
-matt
Regarding the Obama speech, the parents who are demanding it not be shown in the schools should be ashamed. A lot of us parents have gone to great lengths to teach our children not to judge a man by his color. It is quite obvious since the very day Obama was declared the President of the United States that IGNORANCE reared it’s ugly head once again in this Country. What harm is there in showing the speech? It’s nothing political…it’s a positive message to the children..black children, white children, ALL children! It’s so sad that so many people are still the same. We try to teach our kids how to be color blind but it’s the ignorant parents who are spreading such hatred. Yes, I do believe it’s because Obama is black and nothing more. You parents should be ashamed to even let your children see how ignorant you still are. I remember watching speeches when I was in school and OPTING-OUT wasn’t an option. I don’t care who the President is, if he’s talking to the children and it’s positive, they should be able to listen. Parents don’t keep your kids home because that will be another negative point against you and your child. I’m sure there will be a day when there will be a woman president and even a gay president——what will you ignorant people do then? No matter what this Country does to try and cover racism, it will always rear it’s ugly head!
I totally agree with John F. Axselle III, Hanover County School Board… politics should be left out of the classroom. The school board should put THEIR politics aside and let the children and youth of our county be inspired by the President of the United States - no matter what political party he belongs to. What message are we sending the young people of this great nation? Don’t want to show it during lunch? Record it and show it the last period of the day. The students won’t be doing anything productive at the end of the first day of school anyway! Come on Hanover - you are better than this!
Take heart, allisonfan. Jefferson was also accused of the same thing.
And Madison wrote about not just any sect of Christianity controlling public policy… but Christianity itself. It was a matter of “tolerance” and “freedom of conscience” the father of the constitution espoused.
Unfortunately, conservative revisionists ignore the facts. And as one of my staunch Christian brothers… who happened to be a federalist… said “facts are stubborn things”.
This is to Rain in particular, but it applies to us all. It applies to me. Rain, you take offense when you think folks accuse you of not being Christian. Maybe, just maybe, there’s something upon which we agree. That accusation is offensive. My earlier post (on Sunday afternoon) was in response to a remark that Liberal Democrats need to go to church. That remark was like so many others that I have heard and read here and elsewhere for years. Liberal Democrats are accused of being downright satanic, certainly not Christian. It makes me sad, and, yes, angry. In my post, I said I’d just gotten home from a protestant church. Here is my request: Let’s please stop assuming that every person who disagrees with us has no Christian heritage, or does not aspire to understand and live out what Christ exemplified. That said, I must point out that I don’t think Christians have a monoploy on good sense or important values. I encourage those of other religions, as well as those who are atheists or agnostics, to join the discourse of what our country is and can be. To my way of thinking, we are much greater if we include, if we draw from every strength. I hope we can listen to each other with respect. I haven’t always done that. I’ll try to do better.
I just read the speech that has so many people in an uproar. Parents, you could (and some probably do) tell your children the same thing as the President outlined. You and your children either have the initiative or you do not. Children should be taught values, morals and goals long before they reach the school system. It should not be the schools system responbility to raise your children, it is yours. Long before I started school, I was taught to say ,‘Yes maam, no maam, yes sir, no sir, please and thank you’. Common courtesies that have taken me a long way in this world and they do not cost one penny. THANK YOU GOD for the parents I was lucky enough to have had.
Once more they come here and call us racist and now unamerican because our well educated people in our school systems who are in everyday lives of chlidren says no but they intend we are racist and unamerican. They come here and call us non-christians that we need too borrow there Bibles because it reads different on abortion issues of there king. I myself only know King James Bible what my father taught me to use in christian family values. God who stands beside us who gives our familes hope ,faith and love for our children everyday, What they must face here we are Gods children and God himself said you not going call us racist or non-christians standing behind your king trying put your views in our children heads of calling us racist and non-chistians. Iam very proud of our school system for the education and teachers and many mentors who make a difference everyday in our children lives its unbelievable what they do everyday. What they taught me as a parent that I must be also be part of the steps with my children to achieve there goals. I will always respect the school system in there decisions yes or no because I count on them everyday to lead our children in education, goals and there sucess to learn. You come here to judge me calling me a racist and non-christian now you go take it up with God because Iam one of his children not this king that you believe in so highy and speak to my children calling me a racist and non-christian as long as I live God will be the faith,love and hope of my children.
After eight years of a counterproductive Bush administration; there is invevitable some ground for us to make up (please see below).
The Early Warning Signs Of Fascism: Powerful, and continuing Nationalism; Disdain for Human Rights; Identification of Enemies as a Unifying Cause; Supremacy of the Military; Rampant Sexism; Controlled Mass Media; Obsession with National Security; Religion and Government Intertwined; Corporate Power Protected; Labor Power Suppressed; Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts; Obsession with Crime and Punishment; Rampant Cronyism and Corruption; Fraudulent Elections.
Inevitably some ground to make up, like this stupid fracas.
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