Our dear leader going after the kids

[Slim]

Hmm. It's interesting that this is freaking out more people that I know who have immigrated here LEGALLY from communist and totalitarian dictatorships than those who were born here or immigrated LEGALLY from other democratic countries. I wonder why?

(Hint: It's because they've seen this before)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_...ional-Success/

Along with this, comes a whole set of directives for the teachers (From the ed.gov website that is currently shut down down (coincidence?)):

PreK-6 Menu of Classroom Activities: President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009

Before the Speech:
Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama and motivate students by asking the following questions:

Who is the President of the United States?

What do you think it takes to be President?

To whom do you think the President is going to be speaking?

Why do you think he wants to speak to you?

What do you think he will say to you?

Teachers can ask students to imagine being the President delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
What would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what they would say.

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?

During the Speech:
As the President speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a Cluster Web, or students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children can draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:

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?

Students can record important parts of the speech where the President is asking them to do something. Students might think about:

What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?

Students can record any questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.

After the Speech:
Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes or stick notes on a butcher paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, i.e. citizenship, personal responsibility, civic duty.

Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:

What do you think the President wants us to do?

Does the speech make you want to do anything?

Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?

Anyone else find this a bit creepy?

[TrainingDummy]

Anyone else find this a bit creepy?

No. not in the slightest

[TBean]

Along with this, comes a whole set of directives for the teachers (From the ed.gov website that is currently shut down)

No, it sounds like a suggestion for a lesson plan. It is a pretty standard set of ideas/concepts to prepare kids for an event/activity, encourage active listening, and foster conversation about what they have heard. Most teachers would come up with something similar if left to their own devices - it reminds me a lot of the lesson arc my son had during the Presidential elections.

(coincidence?)

Yes

Anyone else find this a bit creepy?

No

[jeff]

Not creepy to me either. Just more paranoia from people who are looking for excuses to stir up trouble, and to make bizarre, slanderous, unfounded comparisons to N. Korea.

People who came to the US from totalitarian states may be afraid of the police here too, but that doesn't mean their fear is justified.

I channel surf on the radio on the way home from fencing and listen to right wing nutjob radio (along with the other wacko radio programs - there's a weekly program that touts perpetual motion machines) and even some of the bozos there said that Obama was probably going to say inoffensive 'study hard in school', 'you can do it if you try' material.

[Hauptman]

Hmmm....asking kids to think, to actually ask questions, and listen to what politicians say themselves and not just listen to second-hand opinions?

I think this is a great idea, and the only thing I find creepy is the fact that someone would find it creepy.

[migopod]

Yeah, totally not creepy at all.
It wouldn't have been creepy for any other president in recent history either.

Except maybe Nixon, but he was just intrinsically creepy.

[Guided by Wire]

No, not creepy.

It's also optional, btw.

[Slim]

No, not creepy.

It's also optional, btw.

Turning on a TV in a grammar school classroom or assembling in the auditorium during class time to watch this is not "optional". Doing it after school hours or on the weekend is optional.

[Slim]

I channel surf on the radio on the way home from fencing and listen to right wing nutjob radio (along with the other wacko radio programs - there's a weekly program that touts perpetual motion machines) and even some of the bozos there said that Obama was probably going to say inoffensive 'study hard in school', 'you can do it if you try' material.

The broadcast isnt the creepy part. Most kids will probably fade out and not pay attention anyways. It's the directives that have come down from the Dept of Ed. for what the teachers should do before and after the speech.

"Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

"Discuss what the president wants us to do."

This is unprecedented. No president has ever done this before.

Which, by the way, is in violation of a federal statute that says course materials and curriculum guidelines cannot be passed down from the federal government to the states.

Either the amateurs in the new administration at Dept of Ed didn't realize it or figured no one else would. A little on the new Sec Ed's history.....

Former head of the Chicago School System, Duncan had known Obama for over a decade and played recreational basketball with him, including the day Obama was elected president. Duncan was confirmed by the full Senate on January 20.

www.ed.gov is still down...probably scouring the site trying clean up the mess they just made.

[Hauptman]

The broadcast isnt the creepy part. Most kids will probably fade out and not pay attention anyways. It's the directives that have come down from the Dept of Ed. for what the teachers should do before and after the speech.

"Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

"Discuss what the president wants us to do."

This is unprecedented. No president has ever done this before.

Which, by the way, is in violation of a federal statute that says course materials and curriculum guidelines cannot be passed down from the federal government to the states.

Either the amateurs in the new administration at Dept of Ed didn't realize it or figured no one else would. A little on the new Sec Ed's history.....



www.ed.gov is still down...probably scouring the site trying clean up the mess they just made.

All I see is: "Teachers could ask..." or "Teachers can ask...", and there is nothing even remotely political in it.

It also appears that many school districts and parents are opting out, so again... what's the problem?

For the record, Bush gave at least two speeches to the kids; one about drugs and the other on the importance of education. They were shown during school hours, and the schools were strongly urged to participate. All this nonsense about the "Hitler Youth" comparisons is disingenuous to say the least; calling the comparisons 'dangerous lies and insanity' would closer to home.

[Bayou Bum]

Yes, it's creepy. It is wrong for any President to use public schools to push a political agenda. I'm sure if the conservative president elected in 2012 were to try the same thing, everyone here would be yelling for impeachment.

[fencerchica]

Yes, it's creepy. It is wrong for any President to use public schools to push a political agenda. I'm sure if the conservative president elected in 2012 were to try the same thing, everyone here would be yelling for impeachment.

I invite you to enlighten us as to what aspects of "hey kids! study hard!" constitute "pushing a political agenda."

As children across America go back to school, President Obama will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of taking responsibility for their success in school on Tuesday, September 8th at 12:00 PM EDT at Wakefield High School in Arlington.

[Purple Fencer]

I invite you to enlighten us as to what aspects of "hey kids! study hard!" constitute "pushing a political agenda."

Apparently, encouraging kids to think for themselves so they can make their own decisions falls into the "political agenda" venue.

But then again, to some people Obama can't take a deep breath without it being turned into something political.

Sorry guys...Big Brother left last January (unless you count Cheney)

[jeff]

The broadcast isnt the creepy part. Most kids will probably fade out and not pay attention anyways. It's the directives that have come down from the Dept of Ed. for what the teachers should do before and after the speech.

"Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

"Discuss what the president wants us to do."

This is unprecedented. No president has ever done this before.

Which, by the way, is in violation of a federal statute that says course materials and curriculum guidelines cannot be passed down from the federal government to the states.

Either the amateurs in the new administration at Dept of Ed didn't realize it or figured no one else would. A little on the new Sec Ed's history.....

I just read the documents in question, and all the items are preceded with "can", "could", "might". All are suggestions. I can see how you might be threatened with thoughts along the lines of "What ideas do we associate with the words “responsibility,” “persistence,” and “goals?”"

There's nothing threatening here and I doubt that it's in violation of any law. Just trumped up paranoia by the loony right.

www.ed.gov is still down...probably scouring the site trying clean up the mess they just made.

No it isn't. I just looked and the site is up.

Really, the paranoia and fear-mongering you and your ilk are doing is simply disgraceful.

Moron alert: ""As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology," said Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party."

Uh-huh, the room temperature IQ's are out in full force
(Metaphor doesn't work as well where I live, where room temps are over 100 if the a/c is off)

[Fechter1]

Uh-huh, the room temperature IQ's are out in full force
(Metaphor doesn't work as well where I live, were room temps are over 100 if the a/c is off)

Just convert to centigrade, and you're right back in business.

[Philistine]

{snip}
Which, by the way, is in violation of a federal statute that says course materials and curriculum guidelines cannot be passed down from the federal government to the states.

Two questions.

Which statute is this supposed to violate?

Where did you hear that this release violated a statute?

Either the amateurs in the new administration at Dept of Ed didn't realize it or figured no one else would.

Those amateurs must really be screwed--look at This Page. Full of lesson plans, resources, classroom activities and other things. I'm sure they violate... some statute... or something.

Heck... George Bush himself was involved in another horrendous violation of, you know, that federal law:

"In support of President Bush's commitment to giving parents and teachers tools to help children succeed, the U.S. Department of Education has developed a number of publications featuring the latest research and most effective practices in subjects such as reading, homework, and staying drug free. This catalog provides brief descriptions of each volume, as well as information on how to obtain these publications in hard copy or online. Each is provided at no cost. This catalog will be updated as new publications become available. In the meantime, readers are invited to check out the various titles listed here."

Link

--Philistine

[thereom4]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say......you're absolutely nuts. (<ad hominem) But don't worry you have company. I don't know if you were ever a child or not, perhaps you were grown in a pod? But it can sometimes be hard to keep a child's attention. Asking questions like the one's posed keeps them focused and engaged.

As per indoctrination.......also nuts. I mean what could be worst than having the President of the United States talk to your children about the importance of education? The political agenda is clear......President Obama wants all of America's children to succeed. Socialism is alive and well. I vote for a recall.

[Slim]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say......you're absolutely nuts. (<ad hominem) But don't worry you have company. I don't know if you were ever a child or not, perhaps you were grown in a pod? But it can sometimes be hard to keep a child's attention. Asking questions like the one's posed keeps them focused and engaged.

As per indoctrination.......also nuts. I mean what could be worst than having the President of the United States talk to your children about the importance of education? The political agenda is clear......President Obama wants all of America's children to succeed. Socialism is alive and well. I vote for a recall.

Interesting...I followed your Youtube link to the rap video you linked to. I'm going to assume you're a big fan of this guy and his song. How's this for a line from the song:

Getting this fortune and fame
Money make all of us change
The new benz is all white,
Call it John McCain

Nice, real nice. Aint no racial tones here brudda.

Obviously in this age of hope and change, it aint racism if its about whitey.
Peace out.

[thereom4]

Interesting...I followed your Youtube link to the rap video you linked to. I'm going to assume you're a big fan of this guy and his song. How's this for a line from the song:



Nice, real nice. Aint no racial tones here brudda.

Obviously in this age of hope and change, it aint racism if its about whitey.
Peace out.

I mean is this it? No jab? No "clever" quip? You ignore my post and reply with a response criticizing my sig line? K......

In any event, I hope you enjoyed it.

You're a clown.

[Slim]

I just read the documents in question, and all the items are preceded with "can", "could", "might". All are suggestions. I can see how you might be threatened with thoughts along the lines of "What ideas do we associate with the words “responsibility,” “persistence,” and “goals?”"

There's nothing threatening here and I doubt that it's in violation of any law. Just trumped up paranoia by the loony right.



No it isn't. I just looked and the site is up.

Really, the paranoia and fear-mongering you and your ilk are doing is simply disgraceful.

Moron alert: ""As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology," said Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party."

Uh-huh, the room temperature IQ's are out in full force
(Metaphor doesn't work as well where I live, where room temps are over 100 if the a/c is off)

This video was played in a Utah public elementary school assembly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51kAw4OTlA0

"I pledge my service to Barak Obama"
"I pledge to be a servant to the president".

WTF?? Seriously, what is this bull$hite? If you cant see this for what is, which is blatant cult of personality, you're clearly lost in the fog.

Have you taken your pledge Jeff?