From Utah newspaper:
President Barack Obama delivered his much-debated speech to schoolchildren Tuesday, sticking to scripted talking points on the importance of education, personal responsibility, good study habits and hard work.
"I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education...and to do everything you can to meet them," Obama said in a televised speech aired live at schools throughout the nation.
"Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer."
Leading up to the controversial talk, parents and conservative groups voiced opposition to a perceived federal intrusion into local school affairs. Some questioned Obama's motives and feared he would use the time to push policy objectives.
Following the pushback, districts in Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin decided to not show the speech to students. Nebo School District in Utah followed suit, issuing a directive last week against televising the speech in class. Canyons School District wouldn't allow elementary schools to show it.
But most Utah schools left the decision to teachers, allowing parents to have their kids opt out.
Students who did watch, including 64 predominantly white AP history students at Alta High, say what resonated most was Obama's personal narrative of rising from underprivileged roots to the White House.
"I didn't know his Dad died," said 16-year-old Joseph Gibbons.
"My Dad died when I was young, too. It made him seem more real."
On the political spectrum, Gibbons and most of his peers consider themselves conservative. But most came to class Tuesday with open minds and walked away thinking Obama's message was appropriate and right on point. No one chose to opt out.
"There was no hidden agenda," said 15-year-old Nicole Moody of Draper.
Travis Skene disagreed, suggesting the speech was a political stunt meant to improve Obama's popularity.
"People will forever remember this day and look back and say, 'Wow what a great guy he was,'" said the 16-year-old.
Brent Palmer, principal at Barratt Elementary School in American Fork, said he and the school's PTA decided not to show the speech Tuesday after about 80 parents called to say they didn't want their kids watching it.
Elementary schools that feed into Alta High and other secondary schools in the Canyons School District didn't air the speech due to district-wide testing and technical challenges.
Canyons School District board member Kevin Cromar hopes to remedy that by allowing elementary teachers to air recordings of the speech.
Courtney Droz, a counselor at Mt. Nebo Junior High, will ask her school board to consider adding the speech to the district's media archives, a list of documentaries, news broadcasts and other broadcast material approved for use in the classroom.
"Any presidential address has educational and historical value that's worth preserving in our schools," said Droz.
2 comments:
It was a great speech. Shame on those who found fault with it. They have much fear and hate in their hates and minds.
We all must remember when we were young I do. When adults say don't see this your more likely to want to see it only because they don't want you too. I remember my Mom said we couldn't see the movie Bad Seed. Now I really could care less but as parents kept saying it's a bad movie for kids about a bad little girl you betcha I saw it. Well we waited in the ladies room until the movie started and then when it was dark we went in the back. We left before people started to leave. Now when I was grown I told my Mom I saw that movie and she asked Why. I said it was only because you said we couldn't see it. Now I really believe the kids who weren't allow to see President Obama's speech will see it one way or another. Remember kids today have YouTube and yes they have the speech.
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