ACHTUNG!

[The Annoyed Man]

Much as I can't stand the man and fear that he is the ruination of our country, like others, I don't see a problem with this as long as it is agenda-free and just an exhortation to buckle down and be good students.

That's a good argument, and one that's hard to argue against. But if we look at it as a States issue vs. Fed issue, I see it as the WH sticking it's nose in where it doesn't belong. Doesn't matter if it's left or right, good "life lesson" or not, should the Fed President be heard by local school district audience on local school district time?

It really depends on what it's about. I remember similar things from my childhood (1950s & early 1960s), and I don't see it as necessarily a bad thing. Back then, it was films about atomic bomb drills for the classroom ("duck and cover") distributed by the Atomic Energy Commission (a federal agency) and the Defense Department (a federal agency) — both of which were answerable to Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy during their respective administrations. And we had President Kennedy's athletic fitness standards program - not necessarily a bad thing either. And then there were the educational films created by NASA (another federal agency) about the Space Program, which was transitioning from infancy to "full swing" back then. I agree in principle that schools should be run according to local exigencies, and not according to some federal "master plan," but that said, there are some things, even if rarely so, that the federal government may be better equipped to do than local governments. In the case of the Obaminator's speech to the kiddoes, I think that as long as it is agenda-free, and as long as local districts and/or schools have the freedom to opt out of it without penalty if they want to, then I don't see any great harm in its being distributed.

[Booster]

I do not believe this man can give a speech without an agenda.

My 2 children will either be allowed to sit during on the speech or be absent that day.

[Purplehood]

Of course he has an agenda, but he doesn't have to spend every waking moment pursuing it.

[C-dub]

Non-partisan or polital would be acceptable. However, I don't believe he can do that. He's struggling all over the place. If I were a betting man, I would bet money that he will slip in healthcare and environment issues to get some leverage with the kids against their parents. "Dad, the President said this is an emergency (or crisis) and it's up to us to save our planet. People are dying without access to healthcare. We should help them." I can hear it in my head.

I trust him less than I can throw him.

[pdubyoo]

Of course he has an agenda, but he doesn't have to spend every waking moment pursuing it.

That's what he appointed the czars for!

[pdubyoo]

When I read the article I noticed that it made mention of activities and curriculum accompanying the speech. That implies to me that it will be a canned-speech. If so, provide the content ahead of time in writing and let the parents decide if it is non-partisan or not. If it fulfills that requirement than I see it as a positive experience for the kids. If it smacks of whatever boogey-man, socialist ideas you may object to, keep your kid away.

There are "activities" papers that you can download (http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/), that prompt the discussion that teachers are to have with students before and after the annointed one's speech. Reading through some of the questions and discussion points is extremely disturbing. This wreaks of brainwashing!

Examples
PreK ~ 6th grade

Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?

What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?

Write an essay on how you can help the president. (I have a major beef with this...what does this have to do with education?????)

Grades 7 ~ 12

Do you remember any other historic moments when the president spoke to the nation? What was the impact? (Is this educational??)

What do you believe are the challenges of your generation? (federal debt, socialism, anyone?, Beuller?)

Hooky day for my kids...extra long weekend!

[The Annoyed Man]

I do not believe this man can give a speech without an agenda.

My 2 children will either be allowed to sit during on the speech or be absent that day.

You may well be right, and I'm not saying he won't inject agenda into his speech. I trust him less than C-dub can throw him ( ). That said, and in general principle, IF the speech is agenda-free, then I don't have a problem with it.

[casingpoint]

KIDS LOVE KOOLAID

[blc]

One word:

Home-schooling.

*Shameless plug over, we now continue our regular broadcast!*


For what it's worth, I agree that this President seems unable to speak without spewing his agenda everywhere. Expect preaching about the environment, social justice, carbon, health care, volunteerism, etc.

[boomerang]

Josef Goebbels used that tactic very successfully during his reign as propaganda minister for Hitler.

They made sure to indoctrinate school children. Captive audiences. Impressionable minds.

[joe817]

Josef Goebbels used that tactic very successfully during his reign as propaganda minister for Hitler.

They made sure to indoctrinate school children. Captive audiences. Impressionable minds.

Exactly my point boomerang! Thank you. And until we can define that the current Presidential incumbent is doing just that, what is being said is merely "the sky is falling" rhetoric.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

To those of you kvetching about Obama being involved in local schooling,
just what do you think Bush's "No child left behind" was? A massive federal
program, unfunded, that told schools what to do. What we get for this is
"teaching to the test".

Both presidents had/have something to say about education.

Although we have not seen the content of Barack's pep talk to kids about
doing better in school, the fear-mongering against his speech seems to be
taking on the hyperbolic tone of past protests.

Just like Spinal Tap had an '11' on their amplifiers, the hyperbole has always got
to be over the top.

SIA

[03Lightningrocks]

Josef Goebbels used that tactic very successfully during his reign as propaganda minister for Hitler.

They made sure to indoctrinate school children. Captive audiences. Impressionable minds.

Exactly my point boomerang! Thank you. And until we can define that the current Presidential incumbent is doing just that, what is being said is merely "the sky is falling" rhetoric.

We already have defined that his imperial highness is doing just that. The fact that some folks don't see it just proves how much influence MTV and Hollywood have on our less intelligent citizens. Sad...very sad indeed. My kids are grown now but if they were in school I would not want the government trying to indoctrinate my children in the ways of being a good citizen according to Lenin. Obamunism is socialism with a P-Diddy rapstar cool mask. Obama IS trying to achieve power by making Americans dependent on the Government for it's every need.

There is no way on Gods green earth this administration is going to simply tell our youth to stay in school and leave it at that. Nope...he is going to lay some kind of Socialist garbage guilt trip on them about how the more fortunate should carry the less fortunate. It is wrong on more levels that I can begin to write here to allow the government access to our children in this fashion. Wake up folks.....the devil is at the door.


“Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world.”
— Vladimir Ilyich Lenin


"Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a Bolshevik forever." Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich

[Liberty]

I see it a little different. Its an opportunity to teach our children

Remember we as parents get to have tha last word. I do not believe in isolating our children from the evils of socialism, but instead we should be exposing the children to evils and the consequences of such evils. Children should be aware that evil can present itself itself in the means of a charismatic leader. We should show them how Stalin and Hitler lead millions to their death and they did it by taking away our rights a little bit of a time. Children can understand that the more that the goverment does the more government takes away from good people. Children need to be exposed and understand the principles of consequences. and that evil isn't always done by roughian types and that satan can present himself in the form of a smooth talking charismatic politician.

This will be a great oportunity to show how poorly socialist governments have done.. Tell and show them about communist China, Cuba and Venesuala.
With children everything is a learning experiance .. Its up to us as parents to but it all in context. We need to understand what they are exposed to and present it in a proper light. censorship is a poor alternative.

[stevie_d_64]

The real test here is going to be to watch how many school districts suffer for their snub...

My wife, as most know is a rookie teacher in Pasadena ISD...Her classroom (students and staff) are a direct recipient of federal stimulus money to have that classroom operate in the district...Without that direct bolus of money, my wife would probably be teaching somewhere else...She signed a letter to the fact that this is a federally subsidized classroom with stimulus money directed by President Obama to these kids...I have the signed copy in the gunsafe...

Now...Pasadena ISD just announced yesterday that they would not accomodate the President in this endeavor...They will tape the event and make it available to thos ethat wish to review it after the fact...

Lets watch and see the after effects of the snub, then we will see what this was really all about...Which we all kinda know anyway...

Some people are certainly convinced that history like this cannot possibly repeat itself...Oh no! No way!