Sept 8th- School Districts Balking At Showing Obama’s Speech

Good to know more and more school districts are balking at showing Obama’s indoctrination speech…

Here’s a hall pass, courtesy of MM…

HoCh

Dickinson ISD teachers and other staff will not present the live address to students on Tuesday. If parents wish for their children to view the speech, we believe the appropriate thing to do would be for parents to record the speech, view it and discuss it at home with their children.

Our Technology Department will record the address, giving our instructional leaders an opportunity to consider the president’s comments. Should a teacher feel he or she would like to incorporate the message into the class curriculum, then the teacher will have to send home a note to parents telling them when the speech will be shown and giving the parent the opportunity to opt their child out of viewing the address and providing an alternate assignment.

Most area districts, such as Fort Bend, plan to leave the decision on broadcasting the speech to individual principals and teachers. Some districts, though, are encouraging — or discouraging — teachers to show it more than others. For example, Trazanna Moreno, the spokeswoman for Klein ISD, said the message to social studies teachers is, “If you can make it work, go ahead.” Pasadena ISD spokeswoman Candace Ahlfinger said, “He is the president,” but added that the decision to show Obama’s speech is left to individual schools.

Spring Branch ISD was less enthusiastic in its statement:

The President’s address, like Presidential Inaugurations and other national broadcast events, is only relevant when it is completely aligned to a teacher’s lesson for the day. Our principals in collaboration with teachers will use their professional judgment to determine if this particular broadcast enhances planned curriculum and instruction. For our schools and teachers to stop instruction to watch any broadcast or national news event is extremely rare.

Spring Branch Trustee Mike Falick wrote on his blog:

Many people, including me, believe that while the President’s stated intent of inspiring children is clearly a good message, the speech may be political in nature delivered to a captive audience of students. This concern was heightened by the posting of curriculum on the U.S. Department of Education website that suggested students should write a letter to themselves about “how they can help the President.”

Humble ISD also falls in the not enthusiastic camp based on this statement:

As classes are well-engaged in curriculum at this point in the new year, Humble ISD will not be directing a district-wide viewing of this Presidential address.

Rather, we will treat this address as we have treated Presidential Inaugurations and other national event broadcasts. Principals, in collaboration with teachers, will employ their instructional autonomy and use their professional judgement to determine if the broadcast enhances the planned curriculum and instruction in the classroom to decide whether to view the broadcast or not.

Cy-Fair ISD also is leaving the decision to individual schools, but the district’s statement says students whose parents opt them out of watching the speech will be taken to another room — without another activity to do:

President Obama will be talking to students about persisting and succeeding in school so we want to provide teachers the opportunity to make this speech available to students, either live or in a taped version, at a time appropriate for instruction. Should the teacher choose to view the President’s address, it will also be a campus decision regarding the scheduling of the activity. For example, the social studies classroom might be the appropriate class for viewing, or principals may schedule during another class.

Social studies coordinators have provided resources to utilize with students. Grade appropriate activities have been developed to use before, during and after the speech. These activities will provide students the opportunity to reflect on the content of the speech. The US Department of Education has indicated that President Obama’s speech will be 18-20 minutes in length.

There will be no alternative activities for students whose parents request that their child not view the speech. However, an alternative location with supervision will be provided.

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