?? About Presidents Address to Students

[ICF]

much ado about nothing....some people just like to get worked up about silly stuff.

like him or not, he is the POTUS....deal with it for another 3+ years. It won't harm anybody's child to hear him speak for an hour and I'd say the same thing regardless of which party the president represents.

 

[NotUrsula]

The most objectionable item was:

*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?

I'm having a hard time understanding why LISTENING to an elected official would ever be objectionable. How on earth else is anyone to make judgements about whether or not they agree with what is being said or done? Listening does not equal agreeing, it equals becoming informed about what is being said.

I think that this is a legitimate question. We ALL should listen to what our elected officials have to say every time they open thier mouths in an official capacity. As informed citizens, it IS important, even if we oppose their policies, because there is no better source than the horse's mouth.

PS: My apologies, because I guess my opinion on this might be called political, though it is certainly not partisan.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'm afraid this will end up a closed political thread, but I'll say:

We'll be watching it at our school (I believe it was the principal's choice) and I'm glad. As much as I disliked G.W. Bush, I would have wanted have wanted the same if he were giving the address.

Apparently, though, over 100 parents have called central office and complained about it. It seems they believe the president will try and "push his healthcare agenda" to the children. Yep, that's what they said.

 

[kidshop]

Well, here's the suggested lesson plan. I'm not seeing the Devil that you have described.

Even if it were there, all schools would have to do is ignore the suggested plan and create their own.

I'm pretty sure the president and elected officials are supposed to represent the people. They should listen to US. Phrasing the question that way implies that the President says what to do and we should do it and then write about why that is important. What they say is important b/c it affects all of us, but again the way it is phrased suggests we obey them. IMO it's subtle but there.


Ask not what your country can do for you...

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

Well, here's the suggested lesson plan. I'm not seeing the Devil that you have described.

Even if it were there, all schools would have to do is ignore the suggested plan and create their own.

That's because they changed it after the outcry they received over the initial lesson plan.

 

[Liberty Belle]

As some of the previous poster are pointing out, it's the assignments that are wigging me out. What did my child find inspiring? That assumes Obama is, as a matter of course, inspiring. What can my child do to help Obama? I thought my child was supposed to help her fellow citizens and her country. Why is it important to listen to President Obama and Congress, etc? I thought I was raising my child to ask questions, not follow blindly. So YES, these assignments bother me.

I swear, take any of them and substitute "Mao" or "Stalin" for President Obama and you'd have a history lesson. I'm not saying Obama is Mao or Stalin, but I am saying that as an American, this is unnerving.

And BTW, the lesson plan has supposedly been revamped since last night when I printed it. They were taking too much heat, probably realizing they'd gone too far. But they fact that they wanted to TRY it bothers me terribly.

I've always taught my children that, too. How can they know the president's stance/feelings/thoughts and ask questions if they don't listen to him, though?

 

[FireDancer]

Ummm, it IS important to listen to what these officials say, even if we disagree with them. Especially if we disagree with them.

I think because the choice of wording could imply that the verb listen is used as a synonym for obey as opposed to hear.

And in a representative republic the elected officials communicate with their constituents but listen to us, not us to them.

 

[sbell111]

As some of the previous poster are pointing out, it's the assignments that are wigging me out. What did my child find inspiring? That assumes Obama is, as a matter of course, inspiring. What can my child do to help Obama? I thought my child was supposed to help her fellow citizens and her country. Why is it important to listen to President Obama and Congress, etc? I thought I was raising my child to ask questions, not follow blindly. So YES, these assignments bother me.

I swear, take any of them and substitute "Mao" or "Stalin" for President Obama and you'd have a history lesson. I'm not saying Obama is Mao or Stalin, but I am saying that as an American, this is unnerving.

And BTW, the lesson plan has supposedly been revamped since last night when I printed it. They were taking too much heat, probably realizing they'd gone too far. But they fact that they wanted to TRY it bothers me terribly.

Now you are getting way too political. DISBoard rules forbid me from having this conversation.

 

[sbell111]

I'm pretty sure the president and elected officials are supposed to represent the people. They should listen to US. Phrasing the question that way implies that the President says what to do and we should do it and then write about why that is important. What they say is important b/c it affects all of us, but again the way it is phrased suggests we obey them. IMO it's subtle but there.


Ask not what your country can do for you...

I assume that there will be a teacher leading the discussion. The President isn't going to be actually in the classroom, is he?

 

[sbell111]

I've always taught my children that, too. How can they know the president's stance/feelings/thoughts and ask questions if they don't listen to him, though?

That's easy. Some talking head on TV will tell them what they should think.

 

[sbell111]

I think because the choice of wording could imply that the verb listen is used as a synonym for obey as opposed to hear.

And in a representative republic the elected officials communicate with their constituents but listen to us, not us to them.

Communication is a two way street, is it not? Should you not listen when people try to 'communicate' with you?

 

[ohiomom28]

I got a phone call from the school saying that it wouldn't be shown because of our lunch period too. THen it said it would be shown the following day. I don't even know why they called to tell me that?? LOL

 

[rie'smom]

Why not give this speech in the evening when parents can see it too WITH the kids? And why give such detailed lesson plans? After all, it's JUST a speech...... If that's the case, then just talk and stop with the assignments already.

As for "listening to our leaders".....Well, it's about time THEY listened to US.

Why not have the speech where parents can watch it with their kids? Schools more and more are trying to take over the role of parenting. The mothers who give birth or adopt and the dads who do their part are apparently too stupid.

Before there's an uproar, yes some parents are incapable of doing their job but the vast majority are good parents.

 

[sbell111]

Why not have the speech where parents can watch it with their kids? Schools more and more are trying to take over the role of parenting. The mothers who give birth or adopt and the dads who do their part are apparently too stupid.

Before there's an uproar, yes some parents are incapable of doing their job but the vast majority are good parents.

There is a line to be drawn, but I don't see a problem with kids watching a video message from the President urging them to do well in school.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

If I remember correctly, George H. Bush gave two speeches to students: one about drugs and on about education. Maybe I'm missing something....but how is this so vastly different? Except that Obama's encouraging students to write him letters offering their help?

Seriously, no big deal at all!

 

[akhenaten]

Exactly. Much ado about nothing as far as I'm concerned. Would not bother me a bit if it was a Republican president either. I think it is a great idea.

I totally agree!!

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I think schools should make it possible for the students whose parents don't want them to watch it to opt out and from what I saw around the web (looking up schools that weren't showing it), most schools are doing so. Beyond that, public schools are government-run and he is the head of our national government (whether you see that as a good thing or a bad thing) so I don't have a problem with the schools showing his speech. I went to private school and we watched Clinton's inauguration and inaugural parade....we would have probably watched this speech as well, but the questions would not have been asked with a slant (even our AP Government teacher wouldn't tell us her political beliefs until the very last day of class.)

 

[FireDancer]

Communication is a two way street, is it not? Should you not listen when people try to 'communicate' with you?

I would want to pre listen to anything any elected official was going to say to my child in order to determine if it is agenda driven. It may be and it may not be but I want to know for sure first or watch it with them, not hope for the best.

Regardless, that is not a choice for the teachers to make, it is my choice. The school should let the parents know if they are or aren't showing it so parents can determine the correct choice of action for them.

One of the things that makes us different from other regimes is that the government doesn't communicate directly to the children, they do so through the filter of their parents. The parent is the ultimate authority of a child. Not any government representative on the national, state, or local level.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I would have thought it was great. It's not like he's going to be seeking their opinions on liberal policies. I'd imagine it's geared towards children and their education. Why should we not want children to feel they should have a say in their education. My dd's first grade wrote pretend letters to President Obama last year. My DD asked him for a playground for their school as they didn't have one.

The problem are the lesson plans after the broadcast. Instead of the questions being more focused on the student, the questions were more focused on Obama. The questions should be more -- What are some ways you can stay in school? What goals to you want to make for yourself? How can you achieve these goals?

 

[sbell111]

One of the things that makes us different from other regimes is that the government doesn't communicate directly to the children, they do so through the filter of their parents. The parent is the ultimate authority of a child. Not any government representative on the national, state, or local level.

That simply is not true.