After struggling with this issue, I started pondering what can we do "next" to maximize this opportunity.

I've made some suggestions on my blog here: http://www.futura.edublogs.org/2009/09/08/did-we-blow-it/

What I was trying to get at--is that for those frustrated that their school missed the opportunity by not showing the video, there are things we can do to maximize the educational opportunities here!

Will's post was wonderful, I agree!

Staff comment:

Carolyn, these are excellent suggestions and a great way, as Obama would say, to "pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again." Thank you for sharing.

Cindy

As a teacher of Gifted children on an army base, I find it unacceptable that my children, and all of the other kids, were not given the opportunity to watch the President's speech. I watched it in the teachers' lounge during my lunch time. If I'd known that it was not being shown in the cafeteria, I'd have suggested that teachers allow their kids to eat in the classroom where they could see and hear their parents' Commander and Chief. In a county next to ours, the local school system allowed parents to keep their kids at home 'for religious reasons' with no punitive damages to their records--it wasn't even counted! In Georgia, and in MY book, this was clearly racially motivated by a stupid, selfish school board trying to pass yet another SPLOST in less than a week. I think keeping the kids from a message to THEM from the President of the United States was simply deplorable.

That was it, misunderstanding. The Obama school speech stirred up a lot of controversy among conservatives, especially the type that love to scream at the top of their lungs over nothing. That's more or less what is controversial about the Obama school speech – nothing. It's largely supposed to be inspirational, and encourage children to stick with education and not to give up or drop out if the going gets tough. Shocking, we know – children getting educations – we might start having more people acting all smart and stuff. The speech had no socialist or fascist overtones, and people that were protesting the Obama school speech might want to find a money lender to go do something, or maybe a hobby.

How is encouraging children to; stay in school, work hard, take responsibility and have a dream such a controversial topic. This is beyond absurd when Districts and parents do not allow exposure to the President of the United States to say this. President Bush said the same thing to children and I did not hear any outrage.

The National Center for School Engagement endorsed President Obama's address to schoolchildren. You may read our endorsement on our webpage at www.schoolengagement.org. In fact, why not institutionalize the address? I trust any elected president, Democrat, Republican or otherwise, to say something valuable to my children, and I trust my children's teachers to discuss it responsibly. Given our dismal voter turnout, why not make an annual Presidential Address to Children a vehicle both for communicating a valuable message and for making our democratic process more accessible to our children.

Like so many other educators whose comments I've read, I despair for our country and a future where critical thinking skills are in short supply. When I was a kid a speech by our president directed to students would have meant a special TV day at school in the manner of the early launches into space. It seems to me that these parents who prohibited their children from viewing the speech are forgetting two important things. First, the public schools are public and meant to provide an education for all, irrespective of students' backgrounds or beliefs. Second, parents' responsibilities include talking with their children about how and why their own (the parents') beliefs may differ from what children hear in school, or anywhere else, for that matter. If, for instance, parents don't approve of children learning at school how the theory of evolution works, they ought to say to their kids at the supper table, "Well, I know that's what many people accept as an explanation but I don't think they're right and here's why." A primary duty of parenting is helping your kids know how and why to think the same or differently as what the rest of the world will be telling them. Parents who shirk this responsibility are doing their children a huge disservice. In this case, the conversation might start with, "Well, I know that the President told you to work hard and set educational goals and stuff, but here's why I think those are bad ideas."

Personally, I monitor everything my daughter watches on tv for CONTENT. I did not know what was going to come out of Obama's mouth, therefore my daughter did not watch his address. I understand that was he said was very G rated, however things were leaked to the media that he was thought to be saying to the kids about writing a letter to your president supporting healthcare and things like that. It was scary to me to think that the president was addressing our kindergarteners for what reason? So they know and remember his face?

How can schools teach respect when they decide that the President of the United States is not allowed to communicate with their students. It did not matter what he said, he simply should have been given the time he requested.

I have to agree and will add that though I may not agree with all our President has to say, I always remember as a child, hearing the President speak on whatever topic was at present. I'm not sure if there is a hidden agenda, but I listened to the speech and also viewed it as an encouragement to stay in school. There was a boost for teachers and parents as well as he instructed students to listen to the parents and teachers.