Duncan: Man Behind School Students Speech
President Obama's unprecedented speech to school students next week is the first public manifestation of the influence of his new secretary of education and Chicago buddy, far-out liberal Arne Duncan. Duncan is best known for his anti-2nd Amendment efforts through Chicago schools, and his embrace of controversial public school programs while there.
For more about Arne Duncan, read http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2009/03/obamas-anti-gun-slinger-arne-duncan.html.
In the September 8th speech, Obama will challenge students to work hard, set goals for their education and take responsibility for their learning, Duncan said in a letter to principals.
The Education Department is encouraging teachers to create lesson plans around the speech, using materials provided on the department website, that urge students to learn about Obama and other presidents.
"He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens," Duncan said in a press release.
Some conservatives are crying foul. The chairman of the Florida Republican Party is condemning Obama's speech as an attempt to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."
"The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power," Chairman Jim Greer said.
Added conservative talk show host Tammy Bruce, in a Twitter feed: "Make September 8 Parentally Approved Skip Day. You are your child's moral tutor, not that shady lawyer from Chicago."
And conservative author/blogger Michelle Malkin said the lesson plans have a "heavy activist bent."
Texas school districts are discussing whether the president's speech will be shown — some districts are leaving it up to individual teachers with an opt out for parents who don't want their children to view the speech, according to the Houston Chronicle. In Oklahoma, KTOK talk show host and blogger Mark Shannon has urged his supporters to call or write everyone they can think of to protest the Obama speech: "This is INDOCTRINATION," Shannon wrote. "Please read the lesson plans being sent to help teachers STEER kids to the answers OBAMA wants. It's wrong for any politician to go AROUND THE PARENTS to the kids." Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) said, "President Obama has shown time and time again that he has no regard for the Constitution or our founding principles, is this the person we want addressing our children?" Brogdon added that "President Obama seems intent on bypassing the parents to speak to the children directly, I don’t like that, it's just one step too far."
In 1991 President George H. W. Bush made an address to America’s school children to stress the importance of education, but Brogdon fears that President Obama’s address will be dramatically different, saying "I strongly encourage every student stay in school, get an education and I am glad to see the President shares the same desire that I do, but what worries me is the other items that might be discussed in this address, environmental conservation and other social issues. These are topics for parents to talk about with their children, not the President of the United States." Oklahoma City Republican Senator Steve Russell said, “I am concerned any time I see parental rights of education at the local level being usurped by federal and state government. But this is more than that. I’ve looked at the U.S. Department of Education’s website and proposed ‘lesson plans’ to follow this speech, and I was dumbfounded by what I saw." The lesson plans proposed by the Department of Education can be found on their website at http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml. Following the speech, the lesson plan explains that teachers may want to ask students, “What is the President asking us to do? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us?” “As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education---it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality. This is something you’d expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq,” Russell said. “As an American citizen who fought for the freedoms we hold so dear, I find this approach to be alarming, and it certainly appears to have been coordinated with great care. The President should address voters, not their children. He could encourage parents to highlight the things that find common ground in the American ideals we hold dear. His role should not be to bypass parents in the educational discussion by going directly to classrooms," Russell said. Rep. Sally Kern,R-Oklahoma City, said the speech appears to cross the line into political advocacy. “Unfortunately, it appears this event is more about indoctrination of students than education,” said Kern. “No president, Republican or Democrat, should interrupt the educational process in this manner. President Obama is always in the news so there is ample opportunity for students to see him.”
In 1991 President George H. W. Bush made an address to America’s school children to stress the importance of education, but Brogdon fears that President Obama’s address will be dramatically different, saying "I strongly encourage every student stay in school, get an education and I am glad to see the President shares the same desire that I do, but what worries me is the other items that might be discussed in this address, environmental conservation and other social issues. These are topics for parents to talk about with their children, not the President of the United States." Oklahoma City Republican Senator Steve Russell said, “I am concerned any time I see parental rights of education at the local level being usurped by federal and state government. But this is more than that. I’ve looked at the U.S. Department of Education’s website and proposed ‘lesson plans’ to follow this speech, and I was dumbfounded by what I saw." The lesson plans proposed by the Department of Education can be found on their website at http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml. Following the speech, the lesson plan explains that teachers may want to ask students, “What is the President asking us to do? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us?” “As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education---it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality. This is something you’d expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq,” Russell said. “As an American citizen who fought for the freedoms we hold so dear, I find this approach to be alarming, and it certainly appears to have been coordinated with great care. The President should address voters, not their children. He could encourage parents to highlight the things that find common ground in the American ideals we hold dear. His role should not be to bypass parents in the educational discussion by going directly to classrooms," Russell said. Rep. Sally Kern,R-Oklahoma City, said the speech appears to cross the line into political advocacy. “Unfortunately, it appears this event is more about indoctrination of students than education,” said Kern. “No president, Republican or Democrat, should interrupt the educational process in this manner. President Obama is always in the news so there is ample opportunity for students to see him.”
In his letter to principals, Duncan said viewing of the speech is encouraged, not mandatory. It's the first time a president has ever given a speech addressed directly to students.
Labels: Arne Duncan, Barack Obama
posted by Mike McCarville @ 8:54 AM
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