Today was another historic, yet controversial, day at the junction of politics and public education. President Obama delivered a speech to the nation's students about responsibility and staying in school. My school opted out of taking part.
While I agree with the stance of my administration, that requiring the speech to be viewed could have created unnecessary controversy in our students' school day... I also think that his message was important and it's kind of cool for the leader of the free world to take time out to encourage our students to do well in school.
My primary concern about viewing the speech during our school day was lack of previewing... I never show anything in my classroom that I haven't previewed. Even if its a video I've seen 100 times, I watch it again through the eyes of a cautious educator. I wasn't given this option with the President's speech. Nor was my Principal or Superintendent.
Regardless of my opinion of President Obama's administration or political idealogies, I believe that truth is truth. And I believe that all truth comes from our Father above. Jesus said that He is Truth! So any truth spoken, no matter the source, I believe is from Him. That said, a lot of what the President shared with students today was true. That hard work pays off, that nothing comes to any of us freely, and that their education is theirs to take responsibility for and to own. Those are messages that I frequently deliver to my own students in my classroom!
Yet, in this land of the free and home of the brave, I don't want to be told I have to do something anymore than I want to be told I can't. I've heard alot today, from both liberals & conservatives, about whether is was right or wrong for schools to show or not show the Presiden't message.
I agree with the message. But I don't agree that all schools should have been required to view it. In this day & age of the internet and students' access to things on a global level, there's just no need to require a mass viewing in our public schools. One such commentor made this statement "so should our students never be exposed to a State-of-the-Union address either..." Of course they should, we all should. But we all have the ability to turn the channel or turn it off. When students are in school, their time is not their own. Their hours are dictated by those in charge... and when it is mandated that their time be spent watching a message (albeit a decent message) from a President that they may or may not agree with, it sends a message that shouts far louder than that coming from the President.
Put it on a podcast. Post it on YouTube. Email a direct link to every school district in the country. But please don't tell me, a teacher who is already overwhelmed with the amount of curriculum I have to cover in 9 short months, that I can't view something... or that I have to.
