President Obama to indoctrinate (I mean speak) to students

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So today was the first day of school and one of the things Teen Snook tells us about is that the whole school is going to watch Obama on television in a special broadcast to students on 9/8/09. Now at first I fluff it off as a nice thing to do and I figure there are probably plenty of kids nationwide who couldn't pick Obama out of a police lineup as Dora the explorer (pick your favorite cartoon character) is probably more important to them. Then he starts complaining as he was told they will be given an assignment to do over the weekend as a pre-speech activity and that there will be post-activity assignments also. He isn't sure what they are as supposedly the teachers are working on them.

So the Mrs. calls a friend who is in charge of the PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization) and she is directed to The U.S. Department of Education's website. I checked it out and was reading the lesson plan for 7-12th graders and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

Now I know the Constitution bans religion in school, but I guess the founding fathers never figured politicians would use the schools to recruit voters. I know I am biased as I don't like and don't trust Obama, but I do admire the chutzpah he has. I sit here as I type imagining the outrage there would be if Bush had tried such a stunt.

 

TJ was the principal founder of UVA and was on its board. And I know BF founded the American Academy of Philadelphia, which later became the UoP. Jefferson was retired from politics when he founded the University of Virginia; Franklin, of course, was in part promoting himself by founding the Academy. While Franklin was avidly civic minded, and did much for the public good, he never passed up the chance to promote himself, or his business, (later, politically), and he often did so quite shamelessly. If Obama is doing all this to promote himself in some way, he has taken a page right out of Franklin's book in doing so. Ben would more than likely be proud of him.

Last year my kids had to cast votes in a mock school election that was held for the US general election. While both my girls voted for Obama, and while Obama won both their particular classes, the school as whole went for Mac.

That seems an odd point of reference. I suspect most kids would know who the president is....

 

Indoctrination (as in learning what one's supposed place in society, expected values and attitudes towards government/country/religion, etc) and socialization is a large part of what most schools do anyway. Some of it is intended, some just pops up due to the slant that subjects from history to civics to literature have.

However, I read the 7-12 plan, and it did not strike me as particularly self-promoting for Obama. As far as I know most recent US presidents have been considered as role models anyway (that they sometimes couldn't keep up with expectations is another issue), as well as given public speeches on various topics. The site mentions that "the President will challenge students to work hard, set education goals, and take responsibility for their learning". Sounds like a good topic to speak to high schoolers about, I'd say.

 

Well, the lesson plan sounds like studends are expected to discuss why Obama's speech was wonderful. There's not much in the plan to encourage critical anaysis (although I suspect that critical analysis isn't really the point of the exercise, but that's not really the point)

I agree with Snook that, if Bush had done something similar, there would be a great hue and cry over it. Of course, part of the objection would be over the fact that Bush doesn't speak English (or any other recognized language), but still...

 

I absotutidely objectify to Splungery's untruthiness ponderfications involviting speechdoms of Bush.

 

So, what is the point? I guess I'm just not getting all the melodrama in this thread....

 

Yes, if Bush had done this, there would have been an uproar. No, it wouldn't have been terribly meaningful. Seriously, how many of those kids do you actually think will be at all impacted by this? I'm guessing the younger students won't even remember the assignment by the time they get a chance to vote (not to mention that Obama will already be out of office), while the older kids have probably already formed opinions about Obama, one way or another, based on something or other, valid or not. I'm expecting scattered comments like:
Q: What is the thesis of the speech?
A: Scams work!
Q: What are the most important words in the speech?
A: I, me, you, role, need, maybe 'and'
Q: What title would you give the speech?
A: Waste of Time 2009

I know we did things like that for stupid assignments throughout middle and highschool. Of course, we were the brainy kids that got bored easily and could see through cheap stuff like this in seconds, but I don't think the less intelligent kids will be any more swayed.

 

Now i just read thru the entire website and lesson plan.... where is Obama trying to recruit voters? This lesson plan challenges kids to understand the content of a speech and put THEIR views in writing about that speech. No different than any assignment you recieve in any English Comp class in High School. Instead of reading a book, your listening to a chapter of a book read aloud. For me, if Bush did this, no Big Deal either. Not seeing anything here that should cause an uproar.... this is standard education.

 

I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. In 1991 Bush Sr. made a speech to the school children even though that speech in 1991 didn't include lesson plans from the Department of Education. And then, you're sure you really look through this?

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

That "socialist propaganda" is not about what pupils can do to help the president (to ... win elections, kill Americas elderly, destroy the country), but, according to White House Spokesman Tommy Vietor, about how they could help the President in terms of reducing the national dropout rate. Now that is something pupils can think about and do something about without having to become either a liberal or an Obama supporter.

Also, the Department of Education did not 'force' schools to do anything. Schools districts across the country have the option to choose if they show the President’s address to their students.

I am fairly confident, however, that this is merely a cunning ploy. Obama will eventually come forward and announce his still secret plans that I am fortunately privy to - the plan to form the Obama Youth. The plan involves them being taken away in the middle of the night and sent to re-education camps from which they will emerge as Obama's Dreadtroopers. But by then it will be too late, resistance will be futile and America will be his, forever! MWAHAHAHA!

 

Too bad you weren't the kids that were funny.

 

Well, you learn something new every day. I didn't think students could be actually indoctrinated in a single day. Here I thought it would take years and years of repetitive propaganda. Evidently American kids are incredibly stupid.

 

No Rabbit, the socialist propaganda is simply incredibly pernicious.

Emphasis on incredibly.

 

So long as he doesn't turn the presentation into a recruitment project for democrats I think it's a good thing. Thus far I haven't seen him do anything like that (although I wouldn't put it past some teachers -- but then the same is true for the opposite side as well). I also don't see anything alarming in the 7-12 plan.

Having the President of the United States talk (preferably in bipartisan terms) to the youth of the US is a good thing.

 

Exactly T2Bruno. There's no way that this speech will be an attempt at indoctrinating the youth if the central themes of the speech are: stay in school, get good grades, take responsibility for yourself, and stay out of trouble.

Now, if he starts talking about his plans for health care or something like that, I'd agree it would be inappropriate - but I think we need to see the content of the speech before we rush to such a judgement.

And this type of address isn't all that unusual. While it's not an annual ritual, and I do not recall in Bush Jr. ever did it, it has been done by Clinton, Bush Sr., and even Ronald Reagan. I do not recall any of those presidents - whether Democrat or Republican - being accused of attempting to indoctrinate the youth.

 

Aldeth, neither of them had Obama's pernicious socialist ideology.

 

Well it looks like I wasn't the only one who was concerned about this. I didn't even read the curriculum for the younger kids, but apparantly one of the assignments was to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."

According to the Washington Times the administration is working on "de-politicizing" the event.

I'm sure I'm not the only conservative who doesn't quite believe them

 

The Washington Times? Don't bother, TGS, I'm sure I can catch the same rant on FOX. I have to go take a nap now, since I'm exhausted from the "drama" of this whole event.

 

It's a real shame, now knowing that the speech will only be about staying in school, that every winer has to have his/her voice heard about their silly little notions of the President's intentions. Give me a break! Whether it's Bush or Obama or Mickey Mouse giving the speech, there is nothing wrong with the intent of this exercise. Nothing. Get over yourselves and worry about the important issues, not percieved threats that don't exist.

 

Thanks to Republican vigilance this gross abuse of taxpayer money and power was uncovered, forcing the Whitehouse to backpedal.

But Obama can backpedal all he wants - Republicans know that in the end Obama's actions are always means in the relentless pursuit of his pernicious socialist agenda. And even when they aren't, they can always be spun into useful political ammo.

 

Re-read the lesson plan, Blades. A number of the questions blatantly assume positive reactions to the speech. Now, I have no problem with him giving a speech, but that lesson plan was just plain stupid. "How did Obama's speech inspire you?"

... Yeah, that was us. We could talk nuclear physics all day long, but the best jokes we had were puns. Bad puns. Really bad puns. I think some of those kids may have helped write the Xanth novels.