Breaking from my traditional habit of not posting on the weekends because this is just too important to keep quiet on, and waiting until Tuesday will be too late. Last night when I got home and read through my kid's Friday folder I found a letter from the school Principal. I had heard a little about this issue as it slowly grew in the media over the week, but reading the note brought it home.
So here's the deal, the President of the United States plans to address the nation's school kids on Tuesday at 12:00 Noon ET. Here's the most informational link: Frequently Asked Questions site on the Department of Education web site. A few points on this:
Q: What is the speech about?
A: The goal of the speech and classroom activities is to challenge students to set goals, work hard and stay in school. This isn't a policy speech.
Q: Has any other President done something like this?
A: In 1991 President Bush addressed the nation's students on live television from an American history classroom at Deal Junior High, in Washington, D.C.
And here is the Pre-K to 6th grade lesson plan.
And here is what some commentators had to say about all of this:
…parents have every right to worry about their children being used as Political Guinea Pigs for Change. (Michelle Malkin)
schoolchildren across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president. (statement from the Florida Republican party)
“Most parents probably do not know of this agenda being pushed into our schools and affecting our students. Isn’t this what happened in Germany, starting in 1929 and continued until almost an entire race was eradicated?” (from a concerned parent right here in Colorado Springs)
First of all I don't get it, I have a hard time seeing all of this indoctrination and agenda in a 15-20 minute speech in which someone encourage kids to stay in school, work hard and set personal goals. I really don't see the connection. I can see some shred of thinking and logic behind most of the right wing theories and attacks (even the birthers, although it is very far fetched). But I just don't get this one, I really don't.
So when I read that my kids school principal has decided to make listening to the speech an 'extra-curricular' activity, and not even touch the lesson plans I was pretty upset. I was upset for 2 reasons: the above connection makes no sense so why won't the school include this in their normal activities. and that 150 to 200 noisy people are guiding decisions that affect 28,000 students.
And I guess the second point is the one that irritates me the most because it is starting to control all of our political discussions at this point. Instead of reasonable discussion about any issue there is a segment of people and commentators who are approaching the discussion with an approach similar to a little kid who instead of listening to someone they don't like covers their ears and yells "I can't hear you." That isn't discussion, that is one way, it's my way or the high way point making.
Bottom line is I will make sure my kids see this video on Tuesday afternoon. But I think it's a sad state of affairs when the people I trust to educate my children apparently can't be trusted to make an informed decision about their classroom content.
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