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Thursday, September 03, 2009

White House Withdraws Call For Students To 'Help' Obama

President Obama's plan to speak to the nation's schoolchildren in a video address next week erupted into controversy as critics claimed he was trying to indoctrinate America's kids.

The Obama administration is rethinking its course recommendations for students ahead of President Obama's address to the the nation's schoolchildren next week, rewriting its suggestions to teachers for student assignments on how to "help the president."

White House aides said the language was supposed to be an inspirational, pro-education message to America's youths, but its unintended consequences were evident.

Among the activities initially suggested for pre-K to 6th grade students was to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

Another assignment for students after hearing the speech was to discuss what "the president wants us to do."

The suggestion about writing letters has since been changed to: "Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the changes to the language are intended to make the lesson plans clearer. He added that the speech is not a policy speech, but is intended to encourage kids to work hard and commit to school.

The speech is "about the value of education and the importance of staying in school as part of his effort to dramatically cut the dropout rate," Vietor said.

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29 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy doesnt know if hes coming or going does he.

Henry said...

It's not his fault that the GOP and it's followers are a bunch of lying, hypocritical asses who care more about their political power and money than doing what is good and right for the country and it's people.

It makes it extremely difficult to do the job right.

Anonymous said...

This would have been for public schools and private schools to right?

tedh said...

Henry isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? They are all crooks.

Anonymous said...

1:50 You can replace GOP with DEM's and it would still make just as much sense. Both parties are guilty.

Chimera said...

When has any other President in history tried to insert himself into public school curriculum?
This keeps up,you are going to see private school enrollments rise rapidly-and God help those of us who cant afford it.

Anonymous said...

Poor Henry...so angry.

Anonymous said...

Didnt Hitler do that too? I think ppl should be taking names of anyone trying to indoctrinate our children with this dictators missions. The time for real accountability is fast approaching.

Anonymous said...

Gee I wonder if this is the first time a President has had his free speech rights revoked.

Henry said...

I'm only angry at the sheer ignorance of you people who associate this with some sort of Nazi-like indoctrination. Would your reactions be the same if it was McCain or Palin doing the exact same thing?

G. A. Harrison said...

Yes, Henry, it would. What is equally distressing is that you don't seem to see a problem with this.

Anonymous said...

When has any other President in history tried to insert himself into public school curriculum?

http://www.presidentschallenge.org/

MD_Progressive

Anonymous said...

Keep this raciest trash out of the minds of our children. My kids would not be attending school that day.

Anonymous said...

On November 14, 1988, Reagan addressed and took questions from students from four area middle schools in the Old Executive Office Building. According to press secretary Marvin Fitzwater, the speech was broadcast live and rebroadcast by C-Span, and Instructional Television Network fed the program “to schools nationwide on three different days.” Much of Reagan’s speech that day covered the American “vision of self-government” and the need “to keep faith with the unfinished vision of the greatness and wonder of America” but in the middle of the speech, the president went off on a tangent about the importance of low taxes:

Anonymous said...

Someone please pull the head from Henry from his arse. If he can't or won't see that Obama is using Hitler's play book, why even bother with him on second thought. Fighting big government and small minds.

Anonymous said...

MD_Progressive:

WOW... I mean WOW.... this is truly a sad attempt.

You do realize that this is an overall challenge to get people to be active; it does not mention a specific president or agenda.
Obama 1st attempted to make a curriculum of assignments instructing students to write essays on how they were going to help Obama and then backed off, because it was yet "another bad decision" that people didn’t like. Last I heard; he worked for us. Climbing a rope and running laps are a whole lot different than writing essays about Obama.

You are really grasping at straws.

How many times is this administration going to propose an idea, czar, and cabinet member; realize it’s a bad idea and then reverses itself? It is amazing the lack foresight or they are truly blinded by their own agenda.

Anonymous said...

3:44, don't waste your time on this forum. Half of the commenters here possess selective vision/hearing at best. The other half simply possess an aversion for the facts.

Anonymous said...

3:44

Obama's original intent were to have kids write essays on "how they will help obama".
And in 1988, schools didnt have TV's in every room (i was there). It was aired on C-Span (cable) and schools were not forced to watch it.
get it right.

Henry said...

Obama is Hitler, Obama is a dictator, blah blah blah. Learn some history before you continue to make an ass out of yourself.

This, above all, is why the Republican party these days is a complete and utter joke, and needs to be torn apart. When a force actually argues against education, they have proven that their positions are indefensible.

Anonymous said...

I heard Obama had to cancel the order for the brown shirts he was going to hand out to the kids.
When will you lefties wake up?
Either Obama thinks so highly of himself that he believes these kids are interested in anything he has to say, or he is trying to create his own adoration from the children......your children!
Obama is not only an idiot, he's just plain dangerous.

Orsonwells said...

Md progressive, your link could not be to Obama... It shows the Presidential Seal. Obama don't play dat. He have his own logo, and don't use no "Presidential Seal" crap!

Anonymous said...

All ridiculousness aside, right now my husband is serving overseas. For the well being of my children, I am very careful of what they are watching on television. The news is not on in our home. I feel, as a parent of elementary school children, that I have the right to censor what my children are exposed to. I would like to view the President's address to my children before they do.

Anonymous said...

4:17
Many of us do not believe the public schools are about education, an yes, we are serious. Public education is about programming. It always has been. It has become much more efficient over the years. The intention is to privatise education by failing schools and students using standardized tests. Bring in private companies to help out in the problem areas. Create more capitalistic monopolies.
Public education teaches students to memorize and regurtiatate information which is peculiarly slanted towards a global government and one world religion. It is propaganda at best, and mind control at worse.
Furthermore, the educators are, in many instances, the least informed people from each college's graduating class. Everyone know it. Education is where you head when you know up front that you can't handle a real academic discipline. Think about your graduating class, and think about who is teaching your children right now. Are they really the best people to teach children about life?
Our kids aren't educated and we all know it. They are trained. They are babbling idiots compared to their parents - in almost every single case. Very few young people right now are as intelligent as are their own parents. Almost none of them will earn as much money as have their parents. They are trained to be worker bees in a strange communistic society.
Obama speaking to the kids is like Dubya reading the goat book upside down. All pretense.

Anonymous said...

it's not for the President to come into the class rooms of America and try and take over the subject matter in fact it's outrageous . I think I'll keep the kids home !

Anonymous said...

This president of ours is all backwards. Just because we have to see his mug all over the tv and papers and net does not mean our children have to be subjected to this crap as well. If Obama wants to help our children so much then why doesnt he send more money to the schools for more books and stuff..oh no why would he? its like the Jeffersons...(tv show)..lol
Why in the heck would he look back??? I for one will not be allowing my children attend something so freakin stupid. this will not help their grades or to graduate..oops maybe. they may have 1 whole exam on Obama facts..hahahahaha

Anonymous said...

They canceled because they were caught in the act. To attempt to win the trust of our children {the coolaid} would set off the spark, they are not yet prepared for the repercussions of the spark. Look at the whole picture. Prepare yourselves and your families to either become slaves in the New World Order or defend our Country and stop them now. They have made us dependent on foreign counties, food,oil, jobs and soon health care. They will soon state we are bankrupt {purposely bankrupt}and must join the new world order to survive, if you resist, they will deny you everything....in comes the mark of the beast. They must be stopped now, before their civil army is formed.

Anonymous said...

Regan addressed school children as did Bush in 2000. What is different is that Reagan and Bush didn't ask anything of our children but do your best and stay in school.

Anonymous said...

Saddam's picture was in every Iraqi classroom. Having Obama address students rings of his friends- third world dictators like Chavez and Castro controling all aspects of life.

Ask for advanced copies of Obama's 'speech', question school officals about 'follow up activites', are alternative activities offered ? ( library time?) and if not satisfied, keep your children home.

Enthusiastic Obama supporting teachers could easily 'extend' these lesson plans for an entire school year.

Be viglilant.

Anonymous said...

All you complainers voted and elected Obama. So now it is your responsibility to live with him. You all were sweet-talked into believing every word that came out of his mouth. Suckers??I bet you now wish you had your brain in gear and the thinking cap on.