Here is a link to Obama's Speech to the Students on September 8.

I have no idea what might be the problem with it. I know the date September 8, 2009 kept jumping up in my view.

i have not a clue, i am not sure if they are going to do this in brayden school or not. He is pre k, so i am not sure

It all depends on what he actually says, but I doubt it will be political. People have a problem with a politician coming to talk to the kids if pushing an agenda, they have no knowledge that he won't. (remember what Al Gore did?) It's kind of like if a religious leader did the same, people would want to know what was up?
I think it would have been much better if the schools had sent a memo home with the kids explaining it, or even a permission slip of some kind. The way it is, they are finding out by the news, or second hand, which irritates people... not very smart in my mind.

First of all, the link you provided (as far as I can tell) didn’t provide the President’s “speech” but the lesson plan around the “speech.” So a lot of this really depends on what exactly is in the president’s actual address to the kids; what subjects are being covered and what examples are being used. Why is the President doing this in the first place? (That is indeed a very important question.) Without that basic understanding the following questions could be completely innocent of very troubling.
What is the President trying to tell me?
What is the President asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?
Considering that this is occurring in the middle of a major push by the President to promote his health care agenda (including a very historically rare speech before a joint session of congress) some conservatives generally tend to mistrust and worry about this a lot.

their mistrust is their problem...

I would say there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

He is merely reaching out to people.....it is a general civics lesson.... on what the office of the president is................

so do we wait for his nose to grow AGAIN afterward to find out if that was what was really said?

So when the Department of Education directs schools to gather children ‘round the TV monitors for Obama’s pep talk and then do this…

• Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or puzzle pieces or trails marked with the labels: personal, academic, community, country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in those areas. It might make sense to focus on personal and academic so community and country goals come more readily.

• Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.


~ In my opinion His speech is political. Yet, another reason why I choose
to home school, we want have to watch~

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/02/obama%e2%80%99s-classroom-campaign-no-junior-lobbyist-left-behind/

I agree Kelly, there is much below the obvious with this speech and mandatory classroom work. Congrats on home schooling your children and teaching them to think for themselves. Not to follow blindly and become little soldiers and slaves to the govt. Thankfully we will have some who are not turned in to Socialists. Many of their parents are Socialists without even knowing it - that's way long time - subtle teaching has accomplished.

helping the president is one thing, pushing his agenda is another.
What is wrong with this?
What if a child at school does not want to see this speech?
Is it mandatory for all kids to watch?
Do parents have a say so?

We were told that there will be permission slips sent home so that we can have our children opt out if we choose to.

They may put them in a separate room but the classwork is mandatory. Serves the same purpose.

Linda, I keep telling you are doing the bidding of conservative think tanks.
I dare you to go look at my post for today.

About how the "message" of President Obama's speech was controled by Cato.

I don't see anything wrong with it at all. It ecourages kids to think freely for themselves and to become more invovled in the community around them. People of my generation and younger often think that things worldly and within the government don't necessarily affect them and they do. I don't know what the conservatives are having a problem with.

I asked the principal at our school if they would be showing Obama. He said to was letting each teacher decide if they wanted to show it or not. So I will be asking both of my daughters teachers if they are showing it.

What is wrong with this??? Nothing Obama is going to let teachers and students ask him questions. GOOD> So if you do not see a problem with this why are you trying to start a fight with it. This is a GOOD THING!! You should be Praising it then to try to find people that have a problem with it. I guess since you Hate Obama you will try any way to find fault in him.. Please One with out sin cast the first stone!!! Go back and read the Bible this is just like the Prositute condmen her instead of saving her. Carol are you having a hard time finding fault with him so you have to take everything he does and nit pick at it???
Its quite sad...You are trying to judge and prosescute a man for doing his job!! Quit trying to find fault in him.
Carol Instead of doing articles that you try to find fault in everyone , Can you find a subject that you can find GOOD in someone???

Janet,
You constantly questioning my Christian motives. I now question yours. You portray yourself as a Christian, but your views are always anti-whatever the Christians are asking, writing, or believing, Why are you always thinking hate? I am a parent who agrees mostly with the Christian right conservative thinking of which you are not ever in agreement. You are ashamed of my views, so why are you always there to criticize. Are you a Christian or are you a just out to pretend. I'd be looking to myself before you look to me and ask questions of my motives. No one else questions my motives or my hate here just the self proclaimed Christian.

"judge and prosescute a man for doing his job"

But that's the problem Carole, he's doing everything else BUT his job. Where are the jobs? Where is his specific health plan? What has he done to decrease the White House budget? He's upped it about 900%

He's a great talker, but.....

Last time I looked Obama was NOT a school teacher in my district....
so how is trying to talk to my kids HIS job?

Yeah, i don't know what he would teach.

Well he is the President , he is educated probably more educated then most ..Just because he is not a Teacher does not mean he can not teach someone some thing... We all learn from others and Most of them are NOT TEACHERS...

There are 2 main reasons: 1) It is fine for the president to give the speach, it is wrong to suggest agendized leson plans to endoctrinate kids. 2) in the original it says "Write a letter to themselves about how they can HELP THE PRESIDENT..." DO WHAT? Nag their parents to support health care, or cap and trade? However this document has been edited on www.Ed.gov. It now reads: "Write a letter to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals."

They fact that they changed it is an admission of being caught.

I agree...why can't he do it with the parents around...

White House Withdraws Call for Students to 'Help' Obama http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/03/white-house-withdraws-students-help-obama/

Now that is interesting Thomas, hadn't heard that!

Wish his speech stressed "learning is the most important thing they'll ever do"!

I am calling my daughter's school. I want to know what they plan to do.

ok, so it's ok for HIM to talk to our students. But what about the lesson plans?
WHY can't parents watch it with their kids.
I homeschool, so I don't have to show it, but I do plan to watch in on CSPAN
to see what will be said.

I will watch it on CSPAN as well. I just called the school here, and they said there isn't a TV in every room, but I know there is a computer screen for the whole class to watch, so I think they will show it that way. I am writing a note that I don't want my daugther to see it. My other children were bright enough to think for themselves but not this one. She thinks Michael Jackson is alive. So I'm writing a note asking she not view it.

Carol, I agree with you on this one

Just keep your child home so they don't have to deal with being "different" than the masses who see nothing wrong with this. Plus, it is still mandatory to do the classwork.

My daughters are keeping their children home to avoid any issues at school.

Carol,
I know you are very conserative. I appreciate that you questioned the automatic rejection of the planned speech.

I don't know the content of President's speech, but the content of the Department of Education "suggestions" to teachers is definitely over the line.

Asking my grandkids how they can "help" the President is a subtle way of conveying approval of his goals (from an authority figure - a teacher). But, parents are the teachers of political and moral values to their children, not teachers in government schools.

This is an attempt at indoctrination by the Department of Education pure and simple. But, the American people have already shown that they won't stand for it.

Amen to that Randy!

Well said Randy. Keep the kids home - they get enough socialism at school through the no child left behind agenda.

Straight out of Cato institute Randy W and Nora,
And you think you make up your own mind

\bbbhbagag cough cough

Think about this The Anti message was in all the news outlets before
ANY of the news outlets published the White House Press Releas.
YOu were told what to think, how to react.
And you are all doing as you were told.

Today's, what's a "Cato Institute"? Just kidding.

But, seriously, I do have grandkids and I do care what is fed to them in government schools. The Department of Education "suggestions" to teachers were definitely over the line.

That is not a slap at the President. I don't know what he is going to say, and I don't think it's a bad idea for him to talk to school kids. I'll judge him by his remarks.

Have a nice evening.

Carol,
See no one really wants to look at your link.
They have all been told how to think about the President's speech.

I posted the details today.
I keep telling W he doesn't know why he thinks the way he does.
Everything he hears/watches/reads. . . .
Controled by very big money much of it from CATO and their associated think tanks
Even NPR is very heavily influenced by these propagandists.

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977799325

That is an article I posted today. go look!
Compare what the White House Said
What Cato said
What the News organizations said

Oh, Today's, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not trying to get you.

Imagine if Former President Bush did. Good lord they would close school for a week.

Oh and this speech is aimed for elementary students. Brain wash them while their young. So I guess this could be considered "change" (aiming towards a younger audience) EXTREMELY young.

My younger children will not be taking part. I let my older ones decide for themselves.
I moniter what my children watch at home, so why not at school as well??
When our school shows movies etc. we are made aware of them beforehand so we can opt out, same thing here.

What I would REALLY like to know is, if the prez has a message for kids to see, WHY he can't do it while they are at home so their parents can watch WITH them?

In 1988, Ronald Reagan pushed his anti-government, low-tax ideology in a speech broadcast to classrooms nationwide, adding that he had supported "Negro" educational institutions.

Fast-forward twenty-one years later, and the very same people who lapped up Reagan's right-wing speech are throwing a fit because today Barack Obama gave a totally different kind of classroom speech, one focused not on politics, but rather on the importance of staying in school.

Here is a link to Reagan's speech.