First, let's look at the story, keeping in mind that listening to the president's speech is not a mandate. Our comments have been placed in bold type.
And now a sampling of some of the amusing 250+ comments. Gotta love West Texas:President Barack Obama’s plan to speak directly to schoolchildren in a national address has set off a tidal wave of opposition that threatened to swamp San Angelo school Superintendent Carol Ann Bonds, who said she first became aware of the response from e-mails Wednesday night.
“We’ve been absolutely inundated from community members who don’t even have kids in our schools, as well as parents,” Bonds said. “No one has said they want their kids to watch this; everyone said if we were to show this they would keep their kids home.” Two points here: 1) If they aren't your kids, you shouldn't really have a voice in what they are being taught at this level of education -- that's their parents' job. 2) To Superintendent Bonds -- hopefully you were misquoted here and not just stupid enough to believe that people who are pleased with something pick up the phone and bitch about it to people in charge.
The district will not show the speech. Excellent plan. Let's bow to this inundation of public pressure without looking at whether something has educational merit or not.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent letters to school principals nationally, inviting them to “participate in this historic moment” by allowing students, teachers and administrators to watch the 15- to 20-minute speech, which will be broadcast at 11 a.m. Tuesday online at www.whitehouse.gov and on C-SPAN. Wait! You mean this is just 15 minutes out of these kids' entire lives to listen to the president? Crap! We were under the impression from the school district's reaction that this was a major curriculum change.
A White House spokeswoman Thursday said a written version of the address would be made available to preview on Monday. Wait yet again! You mean these people called to complain to the school superintendent without knowing the text of the speech? Sorry article, we don't mean to keep interrupting. By all means, continue.
“The president will speak directly to students around the country about the value of education and the importance of staying in school as part of his effort to dramatically cut the dropout rate,” spokeswoman Gannet Tseggai said Thursday. “This is not a policy speech.” Oh Hell no! We'll be damned if the president tells our kids to stay in school.
Bonds said this invitation created a problem in some districts where it was viewed as bypassing parents and school boards. What districts? Please elaborate.
“In my case, when there’s something of high interest in the community, I contact my board,” she said. “It’s a very complicated issue, and I think that’s why it’s sparking such strong feelings in some people and not in others.” Thank you, that was very intelligent. Go on.
Bonds said she consulted with members of the San Angelo Independent School District board of trustees and district principals and determined that logistical problems, such as the broadcast occurring during lunchtime and the lack of appropriate viewing equipment, decided the issue. Okay, we can buy that.
She issued the following statement Thursday afternoon: “We have received a number of inquiries about whether President Obama’s speech to the schoolchildren of America next week will be available ‘live’ in San Angelo ISD. Due to the logistics of making a Webcast available during that time of the school day, we will not be showing this address in SAISD classrooms or campuses. However, as soon as the speech is available, we will place a link on the SAISD Web site, should you and your family choose to view the speech.” That seems okay, too.
Bonds said she also consulted other school districts in the state and found they are taking a variety of approaches from leaving it up to the principals and allowing students to opt out to districtwide boycotts of the speech. Dumbasses. Sorry, we momentarily lost the ability to articulate because of the overwhelming stupidity we were suddenly facing.
“It’s all over the map,” she said.
She also said time was a factor, especially with the speech following the Labor Day holiday Monday.
“Would it have been different if it’d been early in the morning?” Bonds said. “There’s no time to let school boards consider it, to let officials meet around it.” You had time to consult with the school board, according to this article.
Linda Shoemaker, head of the Tom Green County Democratic Party, said she went online to get more information and found people comparing President Obama to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, “about trying to brainwash students” and asking if there would be speakers opposing the president. Fruit loops on both sides apparently.
“He’s talking about the value of education,” Shoemaker said. “What opposing side?” Good point. Let's see if we can get a Republican to tell kids that dropping out is the way to go.
In 1991 President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation’s children during school hours, telling them to “block out the kids who think it’s not cool to be smart” and “work harder, learn more,” according to the PolitiFact Web site. President Ronald Reagan also addressed U.S. children after the 1986 Challenger disaster, a spokesman at the Education Department said. Good point.
“If it was the former president, if it were George Bush, they would be turning cartwheels to make it happen,” Shoemaker said. Somebody sounds pissed off here.
The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition launched a Web site alternative to Obama’s broadcast, called “Hall Pass on That” at www.hallpassonthat.com. We are so impressed at how quickly anti-somethingorother websites go up these days. Don't you people have jobs? Hmmm... Maybe that is your job. How do we get one of those jobs?
“We will provide alternative lesson plans to the ones initially sent out by President Obama’s Department of Education,” Katrina Pierson, a Dallas-based member, said in a news release. “Those plans, which people can download from the site, were uncomfortably partisan with no real focus on how our officials serve the people, not vice-versa. Our alternative lesson plans also focus appropriately on the role of parents in the education plan for every child.” FYI, the Department of Education's lesson plans can be found here.
Shoemaker said this “thinly disguised hatred” is an example of holding the city back. Do tell.
“It just breaks my heart,” she said. “The only students who get to watch Barack Obama will be those who go home for lunch and have their parents’ permission.” Or possibly who go home and watch it afterwards.
Shoemaker said she would work to improve the technology in the school district. Bonds said that, for one, the Central Freshman Campus does not have a television. Really? Not one television? That's interesting considering how many "excess" televisions the school district had in the 2008 citywide auction.
“I pledge whatever money it takes to provide the technology to the San Angelo Independent School District,” Shoemaker said. Did we say television? We meant high-speed wireless computer network.
An aide to Rep. Mike Conaway, San Angelo’s congressman, said Conaway’s office received about 10 calls, mostly from concerned parents. Ten? Holy crap! We hope they brought in someone to help handle the overflow.
“A few constituents have expressed their concern about the speech,” Conaway said. “There is no mandate or requirement that requires teachers to air the speech, nor use any materials provided by the Department of Education in conjunction with the speech. I trust that the president will refrain from politicking while addressing our nation’s children, and I will be sorely disappointed if he chooses to lobby our children for political ends.” Yay! Someone who can speak in a semi-coherent way!
From DemLobos06: Oooohhhh the scary black man is gonna talk to our kids....Grow up you idiots, he wants to support public education, not indoctrinate your kids. At least people who are against this and the radical Islamists have something in common...both live in the 13th Century
From Casper839: It is hard to believe that this school district can still thinly veil racial, political, and religious bias in one fell swoop. Who is this SCHOOL district for, if not for the children? Obviously the previous graduates did not learn their lessons, especially the laws and Supreme Court decisions around 1964. KLST then compounds the myth by lying on the air on the 10:00 o'clock news by saying the San Antonio ISD will not allow the broadcast. Not true. The teachers have the choice. If they do have the broadcast in their classroom, the parents have the right to choose individually whether or not their child can view the broadcast. This is not an iron curtain country. We did not need something akin to "Radio Free Europe" until heaven forbid a man named Barak Obama was elected President by a MAJORITY of AMERICAN CITIZENS to govern these UNITED States.
From 4Liberty: AGAIN...it was never about the speech, but the "lesson plan" that followed...which was all about feeding the over-abundant ego of the Narcissist-In-Chief.
Also from 4Liberty: Don't worry. Your kids will get plenty more opportunities to worship at the Alter of Barack Obama.
From Backward Texan: One of two things would come out of watching the speech. One, all kids would stay in school, get degrees, and build a loving society. Or, two, Dick and Jane would hear the next bell ring, forget what they "learned" and start debating what they're going to do when they get home, or what's on the menu for lunch. Otherwise get the kids parents off their addictions, abuses, and educate them. Then you might see kids with reasons to stay in school.
From 1ManSleeperCell: Which infamous world leader once wrote of his overt tactic to gain control of the populace, "I begin with the young. We older ones are used up, but my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With you and I, we can make a new world." I'll give you a hint: He also sought to take control of the financial markets, auto industry and healthcare system of his country as means to control.
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