The story:
The president will speak directly to students Tuesday about the need to work hard and stay in school. His address will be shown live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN at noon EDT, a time when classrooms across the country will be able to tune in.
Schools don't have to show it. But districts across the country have been inundated with phone calls from parents and are struggling to address the controversy that broke out after Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to principals urging schools to tune in.
Districts in states including Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin have decided not to show the speech to students. Others are still thinking it over or are letting parents have their kids opt out.
Some conservatives...say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda and is overstepping the boundaries of federal involvement in schools.
"As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education — it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality," said Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Steve Russell. "This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."
Arizona state schools superintendent Tom Horne, a Republican, said lesson plans for teachers created by Obama's Education Department "call for a worshipful rather than critical approach."
The White House plans to release the speech online Monday so parents can read it. The president will deliver the speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.
"I think it's really unfortunate that politics has been brought into this," White House deputy policy director Heather Higginbottom said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Time to be reminded what year we're in:
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4 comments:
Why is it not surprising that "some conservatives" are against Obama's planned address but had no complaints when President Bush (Sr.) and President Reagan gave similar addresses.
It's unfortunate that the level of political discourse has sunken to levels of intolerance. That you disagree with President Obama's policies does not require that you treat him disrespectfully.
Quite the contrary is true. Disrespectful discourse (i.e. Obamanation?)just excites those who already agree with you but will prevent those who disagree with you from even giving your views a read and/or credence.
Can't we all just agree to disagree, as one of your heros, Prime Minister Begin a"h, said.
Mark
Mark:
While your comments are both accurate and admirable, they likely fall on deaf ears. In the US, we have been dealing with these so-called 'conservatives' for years. They apparently have completely lost the ability to hear anything except what is fed to them by Rush Limbaugh and FOX News. Reasoning with them has no effect; logic escapes them; many don't even fully understand the arguments they parrot. Sadly, this style of ignorance is going global...
Thanks goodness that Obama is standing up to the Israeli hardline right. Finally, we have a leader who sees that Israel is not an innocent victim in the violence, but a willful co-conspirator...
I think that this has gotten out of hand, students should be able to listen to the President.
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