President to speak to the nation's kids

[Hockey Mon]

So, to break down the quote from President Obama: "I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about"
1. the importance of education;
2. about the importance of staying in school;
3. how we want to improve our education system and
4. why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."

Now, I can see how point 3 could turn political for adults but for kids? Maybe I'm naive but when I went to high school in MD, a suburb of DC and I was probably exposed to more national news then most people because it was in my backyard (not taking anything away from anyone else but news reports local stuff and Washington DC was local). Now, even with that, I didn't give a rats ass about politics in hs. I was too busy studying and being in school. Maybe kids are more politically active but I think if you asked a high schooler "how we want to improve our education system" they will say things like smaller classes, more teachers, etc, etc. They are NOT going to say "Well, we need cut funding to program X to be able to increase the Depart of Education's budget and to do so we will need persuade Senator X state to vote for bill #Y."
My point is, I think adults immediately jump to a political fight and they don't need to. I think every child should know education is important and the key to their future. That, imo, is what the president is trying to say. I would back any president who says this, regardless of political party. HOW the President and Congress gets this done is another matter but the kids don't need to be involved in that fight. They need to know they should go to school and graduate.

Sorry for rambling but I feel strongly about this. And yeah, I probably made some gramatical and typographical errors.

[oceanstate]

It is exceptionally sad that we've gotten so divided that the President of the United States gets heat for wanting to talk to kids about the importance of staying in school and doing your best. It's even worse that people think he's somehow going to brainwash kids about his policies -- like they have a vote or really even influence policy.

I think it's awesome that President Obama wants to get involved in education. At this point, I choose to trust that he understands that he's talking to kids and will govern his words appropriately.

As for the "what I can do for the President," I have no problems with that. Lots of good answers: plant a tree, stay in school, take a blanket to a poor person, etc., etc., etc.

[chippewa]

It is exceptionally sad that we've gotten so divided that the President of the United States gets heat for wanting to talk to kids about the importance of staying in school and doing your best. It's even worse that people think he's somehow going to brainwash kids about his policies -- like they have a vote or really even influence policy.

I think it's awesome that President Obama wants to get involved in education. At this point, I choose to trust that he understands that he's talking to kids and will govern his words appropriately.

As for the "what I can do for the President," I have no problems with that. Lots of good answers: plant a tree, stay in school, take a blanket to a poor person, etc., etc., etc.

You made most of my points before I could. I really don't even see how this became controversial....I can guess, though.

The live speech won't affect Mrs. Chip's 3rd grade class, it's their first day and they only go 1/2 day. But she's going to check it out and see if it's worth showing the next day.

[krusin1]

Our school district is trying to "split the baby" - King Solomon style.

HS/MS teachers have the discretion to use the broadcast if they believe it advances curricular goals. (Might be good for a social studies class.)

ES teachers will not be showing the broadcast live. But.... after review, should the broadcast seem to advance curricular goals, they may look into obtaining and using a recorded version.

Not a terrible way to handle it, IMNSHO.

And yes, the school HAS received calls from concerned parents who either don't want their kid to see it, or want to watch it with their kid. No calls, by the way from parents insisting their kid DOES get to watch it...



NOW.... for my personal opinion on the whole "controversy...."

Back when I was a kid, if the President wanted to address school children, I think it would have happend, no controversy, no questions asked.

Either the Office of President has been dramatically diminished, or our society has....

[oceanstate]

Either the Office of President has been dramatically diminished, or our society has....

It seems that people are just amazingly afraid their child is going to hear something.

Even if the President talked a bit about policy...how about a little dialogue with your kid? "So, Johnny, I hear that you got to listen to the President today. What did you think about that?"

[ph4ever]

Either the Office of President has been dramatically diminished, or our society has....

It seems that people are just amazingly afraid their child is going to hear something.

Even if the President talked a bit about policy...how about a little dialogue with your kid? "So, Johnny, I hear that you got to listen to the President today. What did you think about that?"

The comments against it here have been civil - over dramatic but civil. Elsewhere they are really sad, mean and vile. The Bush bashing was nothing compared to what I've seen. I have never seen so many paranoid redneck backwoods people in my whole freaking life as I have from my own hometown.

[parrothead216]

The President is making a speech to the American school children about the importance of staying in school, getting a good "edumacation", how they are going to TRY to fix the things that are wrong with the system and why and how this is important for our country.

Operative word there is TRY...that is ALL they can do.

And there are people out there who are taking their children out of school because they are afraid of what they might hear!

Maybe our children need to know that all the future slots for Professional Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, ect. ect ectplayers, have been filled .

Also, that the jobs at McDonalds in the future might require them to have a diploma from high school to operate the devices that the future restaurants will have and that even the drug dealers on the corner....need to be able to add and subtract!

That there will be machines and automation will take the jobs, that you don't need a degree for today and that they need to be at least as smart as the computer, that they will be expected to use!

So you better stay in school and get a good education!

The first thing they should be teaching their children is to RESPECT the President AND the Office Of The President.....no matter who has the job, currently.

Second, I didn't know that parents had the option of opting out of school, for their children! It is a school day and they should be in school learning and hearing what the President has to say!

The better way is let their children hear what the President has to say and then, here is a NOVEL IDEA, sit your children down and discuss what was said and see how THEY, feel about what he said!

It is called a discussion!

Let IT be an educational tool!

Then let them start to formulate THEIR ideas....instead of only hearing their parents point of view!!

I truly don't know what people are so afraid of, with Barack Obama!

BTW, I didn't vote for him and so far I am not ready to jump on his train about everything he has proposed! But I am NOT running in fear from him, either!

I didn't like a lot of what President George W. Bush did either, and quess what, we are still here!

There was an orderly change of our goverment on January 20th and If Barack Obama doesn't accomplish what the American people want.....he can be gone in 3.5 years!

Just my opinion!

[txaggirl91]

btw- both pappa bush and reagan spoke to schools....

[ph4ever]

Drug dealers are some of the best mathematicians I’ve ever met.

[parrothead216]

Drug dealers are some of the best mathematicians I’ve ever met.

You have that right Connie....but heaven help you if you go to a store and the bill is 4.80 and you give the person 5.05, so you get a quarter back!

They stand there and look at you like you gave them the wrong amount!

[spartan1979]

Politics in this country has become so polarized, we won't even listen to the other side any more. How can anything worthwhile get done? Why is it considered a failure if the other side succeeds at anything? What happened to "The Common Good?"

"United we stand, divided we fall" is probably true. We appear to be headed toward the latter.

[ph4ever]

I wonder; of the parents that won't let their children watch the President's speech how many let their kids watch MTV, Reality shows, Jerry Springer, etc.....

[Brown Eyed Girl]

IMHO, the parents who don't want to their kids to hear the speech are afraid that their kids will find out they are ignorant cowards who only know how to spew their party's rhetoric instead of actually thinking and speaking for themselves.

I have a FB "friend" (from my high school days) who is posting all the links from Fox News regarding this subject all over FB. Oddly enough, it doesn't affect her at all, since she just dropped about 80 grand in private school tuition in Vegas for this school year. Her "facts" on her postings can all be disproved with a few mouse clicks, and yet so many folks believe what she posts and pass it on, without doing any research. That's disturbing.

While the speech may be shown in my former district, I highly doubt the lesson plans will ever be seen. They teach to a standards based curriculum, and if content doesn't align to state standards, it isn't taught.

[UAHparrothead]

IMHO, the parents who don't want to their kids to hear the speech are afraid that their kids will find out they are ignorant cowards who only know how to spew their party's rhetoric instead of actually thinking and speaking for themselves.

I have a FB "friend" (from my high school days) who is posting all the links from Fox News regarding this subject all over FB. Oddly enough, it doesn't affect her at all, since she just dropped about 80 grand in private school tuition in Vegas for this school year. Her "facts" on her postings can all be disproved with a few mouse clicks, and yet so many folks believe what she posts and pass it on, without doing any research. That's disturbing.

While the speech may be shown in my former district, I highly doubt the lesson plans will ever be seen. They teach to a standards based curriculum, and if content doesn't align to state standards, it isn't taught.

I had a "friend" on FB like that from HS and he is not my "friend" anymore.

[Bicycle Bill]

Maybe kids are more politically active but I think if you asked a high schooler "how we want to improve our education system" they will say things like smaller classes, more teachers, etc, etc. They are NOT going to say "Well, we need cut funding to program X to be able to increase the Depart of Education's budget and to do so we will need persuade Senator X state to vote for bill #Y."

You're right, some might say that, although I'm guessing that they would be the exception rather than the rule. You would have quite a few come up with nonsense/ridiculous suggestions such as letting them keep their iPods/cellphones on during school hours, or pizza in the lunchroom, or less PE, or four-day weeks, or ... well, you get the picture.

There is a reason teenagers are in high school and we do not consider them legally adults until they attain the age of 18 (and personally, I still think that's even too early for some things). They are still learning, most of them, and the last time I checked the idea was that the student learned from the master, not the other way around.

On top of that, with all the "be cool, stay in school" messages and their ilk (anti-drug and anti-drinking PSAs, for example) that have been tried over the years, why would this one be more effective? Just because Obama is making it?? I don't think so. Heck, even with things intended to bring more younger people into the election process (like MTV's "Rock the Vote" program), does anybody have any idea what percentage of people under 25 voted in proportion to all potential under-25 voters? I would be highly surprised if it were more than one in four.

-"BB"-

[ph4ever]

I wonder what percentage of people that will not allow their kids to watch the President and who are going gaga over this are the same people that this time last year would tell you that it's unpatriotic to question the President?

[LIPH]

If Obama, or any politician no matter what side of the aisle they're on, was serious about improving the education system in this country, the best thing he could have done was send his daughters to public school. Nothing would, or at least should, light a fire under the school administrator's dead ass faster than having the big guy's kids sitting in a classroom.

[ph4ever]

If Obama, or any politician no matter what side of the aisle they're on, was serious about improving the education system in this country, the best thing he could have done was send his daughters to public school. Nothing would, or at least should, light a fire under the school administrator's dead ass faster than having the big guy's kids sitting in a classroom.

Wouldn't that only work for that one school or ISD?

[LIPH]

One is better than none

[Skibo]

If Obama, or any politician no matter what side of the aisle they're on, was serious about improving the education system in this country, the best thing he could have done was send his daughters to public school. Nothing would, or at least should, light a fire under the school administrator's dead ass faster than having the big guy's kids sitting in a classroom.

Actually if the residents in the school district they live in were serious about improving the education system of the community they lived in, they would get involved and stop looking to the federal and state government to fix things for them. Education is a local issue not a national or even state issue. Parents need to be involved in the education of their children, not the president.