Article

2009-09-03 Home Front: Culture Wars

President Obama's planned address to America's schoolchildren on Sept. 8 is generating a firestorm of controversy from concerned parents who think he should mind his own business and stay away from their children. It's easy to see why.

According to an Aug. 26 letter from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to school principals, the president wants to "challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning." He also will call for "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."
I wonder if they have the syllabus printed up yet? Can we get it on-line?
If the speech was simply limited to this kind of feel-good rhetoric, it would be harmless enough. But there is more to this noontime event than simply interrupting lunch. The Obama administration has recommended a series of activities before, during and after the speech intended to drill home the president's messages. Given that the teachers' unions are some of Mr. Obama's most ardent supporters, we expect that the supporting activities will have the feel of pro-Obama pep rallies.

In a move suggestive of the Pyongyang public school system, the U.S. Department of Education recommended that before the speech students collectively brainstorm questions like, "Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us?"
Is this activity for the second-graders or the sophomores?
Classrooms are to be festooned with "notable quotes excerpted (and posted in large print on board) from President Obama's speeches about education," presumably alongside benevolent-looking images of the dear leader.

One of our favorite notable quotes was from a Sept. 9, 2008, speech in which Mr. Obama said that his administration would reform education "without mortgaging our children's future on an even larger amount of debt." This is a particularly salient passage in light of the fact this president is recklessly running up the national debt to unsustainable heights that our children (and their children and grandchildren) will have to pay for the rest of their lives. Class, talk among yourselves.
Better yet, class, write your Congressman and the President about mortgaging your future. Go to Congress.Org, class.
During the speech, students are to engage in a busy-work nightmare, writing down key concepts from the speech, trying to capture direct quotations, and afterward matching them up to key words "to increase retention and deepen their understanding of an important aspect of the speech."
I like that idea, but I think I might get a different understanding than intended.
This is troubling in light of Mr. Obama's history of radical activism in schools. This week, Stanley Kurtz of the Ethics and Public Policy Center revealed details of Mr. Obama's tenure as chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge in the 1990s, where he forged a close partnership with self-described small "c" communist Bill Ayers. Under Mr. Obama's leadership, the group funneled $100 million to left-wing activists to promote a radical political agenda under the guise of education reform.
Just like the healthcare bill...
Radicals always have viewed children as wards of the state to be shaped into shock troops to advance their revolutionary agendas. It is an idea of ancient provenance. Plato said that "children must attend school, whether their parents like it or not; for they belong to the state more than to their parents." Every radical leader of the 20th century put indoctrinating children at the top of his agenda. So when someone with Mr. Obama's background reaches directly into every school in America, parents are rightly concerned.

The planned speech reinforces the lurking creepiness factor around the cult of personality being erected for this president. The White House is billing the speech as "historic," and perhaps they even believe it. But there is no reason for this federal intrusion into family and community affairs. It's not the president's job to be a surrogate parent, teacher or principal for America's children. He would better serve our kids by not bankrupting the country they will inherit.

Posted by Bobby 2009-09-03 06:18|| || Front Page|| [11129 views ] Top

#1 "I wonder if they have the syllabus printed up yet? Can we get it on-line?"

YUP!: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html

Page down to the PDF's for (pre K-6) and (7-12) indocrination materials. They have, however, apparently been scrubbed to delete the "How can I help President Obama." exercise.

1930 Germany anyone?

In his defense, however, The Statist Mighty O has done something I thought would be impossible. He has made Joe Biden appear almost executive-like!

Posted by Uncle Phester 2009-09-03 08:48|| 2009-09-03 08:48|| Front Page Top

#2 And yet, the Obamatons keep marching on...

Posted by eltoroverde 2009-09-03 09:21|| 2009-09-03 09:21|| Front Page Top

#3 I can only hope that more school districts will take the same road as one of the "better" school districts around Austin -- They will not show the speech live, but will make it available at a later time, online, so parents and children can watch it together.

Most disturbing is that the Sec of Ed went right to the principals, bypassing the local school board -- not a good move at all.

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2009-09-03 12:55|| 2009-09-03 12:55|| Front Page Top

#4 It's also interesting that there are still a lot of schools that havented started yet.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2009-09-03 14:46|| 2009-09-03 14:46|| Front Page Top

#5 I'll second that it's the wrong time. Stuff like this is reserved for May Day.

Posted by ed 2009-09-03 15:48|| 2009-09-03 15:48|| Front Page Top

#6 Where can I get an Obama Youth armband for the kids?

Posted by regular joe 2009-09-03 16:25|| 2009-09-03 16:25|| Front Page Top

#7 DB, you're right. Supposedly, the schools in NYC, Boston and LA will be closed....along with the schools in Chicago.

Yeh, Chicago. I recall that he did something with some little foundation out there....had something to do with edumacayshun.....

Posted by Cornsilk Blondie 2009-09-03 16:39|| 2009-09-03 16:39|| Front Page Top

#8 This is at noon right? As I recall Kindergarden will be doing its 'shift change' at that time from Morning to Afternoon Kindergarden.....

Posted by CrazyFool 2009-09-03 16:55|| 2009-09-03 16:55|| Front Page Top

#9 There's really no reason at all for this, unless it has something to do with those western lands.....

Daamn him for speaking to students! Next thing you know he'll be reading a book in a reading circle! That's CRAZY, DEATH TO READING PRESIDENTS!

Posted by .5MT 2009-09-03 18:22|| 2009-09-03 18:22|| Front Page Top

#10 Yeah, it happens all the time. I vividly remember Ronnie (Reader Rabbit) Raygun's weekly deskside chats urging the elementary schoolers "How can I help President Raygun pass Star Wars" or recess would be cancelled FOREVER muhaha!

Posted by ed 2009-09-03 19:05|| 2009-09-03 19:05|| Front Page Top

#11 Tomorrow Belongs To Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNMVMNmrqJE

Posted by Glenmore 2009-09-03 19:53|| 2009-09-03 19:53|| Front Page Top

#12 Now THAT'S SCARY.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2009-09-03 20:21|| 2009-09-03 20:21|| Front Page Top

#13 Gonna be a lot of swine flu stay at home precautions next tuesday.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2009-09-03 20:45|| 2009-09-03 20:45|| Front Page Top

#14 I just went to the Anchorage School District website and found THIS. Evidently, the show is on.

Superintendents in the United States were notified by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week that President Obama would be addressing all students in the country regarding the value of education. Secretary Duncan encourages educators to use this historic moment to help students get focused and begin the school year strong.

The President's national address to students will be on Tuesday, September 8 at 8 a.m. Alaska time and will be broadcast live on C-Span and streamed live on the White House Web site www.whitehouse.gov. Anchorage School District teachers may choose to watch this address with their students, either live or through rebroadcasts that will be made available later in the day. Participation is voluntary.

We have received a number of phone calls and e-mails from citizens and parents regarding this matter. There appears to be a presumption that this is a political activity; it is not. As I understand it, the President will be stressing the importance of setting goals, the importance of regular school attendance, and the shared responsibility of students, teachers and parents in education. I believe it is very important that our students hear from the President on the important part education played in his life, and that of his family. More information on the address is available on the White House Web site.

I want to assure anyone who is questioning the activity that I believe our students will benefit from listening to the President, if this is something that their teacher chooses to incorporate into their lessons. I would say the same for any other President, and for any other elected official such as our governor, members of Congress, legislators and the mayor. We encourage elected officials to visit our classrooms and to speak to our students; Governor Parnell has already visited East High School, his alma mater, and will be visiting three other schools this month as he stresses the importance of staying in school, not dropping out, and the value of education and a high school diploma.

We have firm guidelines in place for any elected officials and candidates who choose to visit our classrooms and schools.

Parents may opt their student out of this presidential address. If a teacher chooses to watch the address with his or her class, the school will provide an alternate educational activity for those students whose parents do not wish them to participate.

If anyone would like to discuss this issue further, please call my office at 907-742-4312 or send an e-mail to comeau_carol@asdk12.org.

Most sincerely,
Superintendent Carol Comeau

I will write a note to school to have my son opt out of this activity. We will teach him about setting goals and take responsibility for learning, which M'Lady and I already do.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2009-09-03 20:56|| 2009-09-03 20:56|| Front Page Top

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