Posted on 09/02/2009 12:24:27 PM PDT by Pauli67
Here is a draft letter to my school district's superintendent about the speech Our Dear Leader intends to deliver to ALL public school students on September 8th, 2009. Feel free to use as a template:
Dear Mr. XXXXXX,
I am the parent of a XXXXX grader and deeply concerned that the school will be broadcasting an address from the President of the United States during my child's class time on September 8th. I have no idea what the content of this address will be, and am unable to vet it as a parent. The politicization of my child's education is not something I welcome. My child is not old enough to vote, and he is not old enough to formulate political opinions without my guidance. Therefore I urgently request that parents be able to read and view the exact same speech before it is given to students. If this is not possible, then I must insist that my son's normal school day take place on September 8th, without interruption from the President of the United States.
In addition, I have read Department of Education materials suggesting student assignments after the presidential address. There is one suggestion that my child can discuss what he, my child, can do for the President. I find these suggestions very offensive and believe they run counter to the United States Constitution, which expressly limits the role of the federal executive branch. My child is getting an education for himself and his community, and is not required to do anything for the President. The President is not a king. I must insist that any teacher at the school refrain from suggesting that my child owes any sort of "help" to the President.
Please inform the parents what the school district will do to preserve the relatively non-politicized atmosphere that has, apparently until today, existed in XXXXXXXXX classrooms.
“In a letter last week to the nation’s school principal, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the speech would **challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning”**
And yet, this is one of the children’s assignments:
Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
Liars
Very Good. I will use that and add a P.S.
P.S. Please consider having your teachers read “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to all grade-school students.
Great letter, I’ll have to change a few things as I do not have children in school but I am a taxpayer who funds them
Calm down, calm down. I believe in free assembly and agree with you. And at this point I’m working on getting my kids into a private school I like. Just waiting on some details(money) to make it happen. Could happen in the next couple of weeks.
I’m just as mad and concerned as you and not done giving my opinions on it to the school admin.
Yes well I am greatful I don’t live in the innercity, I live in a small wealthy Town right outside of Dallas. Most people here are conservatives and against this. Heck everyone I know on staff can’t stand Obama at my kids school! I’m sure they don’t want to do this either. Crazy stuff! I know it’s not the same everywhere else but right now I can only be concerned about this city and it’s choices for the kids.
I ran across this looking into the Obama speech:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/530034253.html
Just lovely. /s
Before the Speech:
· Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama and motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States? What do you think it takes to be President? To whom do you think the President is going to be speaking? Why do you think he wants to speak to you? What do you think he will say to you?
· Teachers can ask students to imagine being the President delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States. What would you tell students? What can students do to help in our schools? Teachers can chart ideas about what they would say.
· Why is it important that we listen to the President and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech:
As the President speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a Cluster Web, or students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children can draw pictures and write as appropriate.
As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following: What is the President trying to tell me? What is the President asking me to do? What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?
· Students can record important parts of the speech where the President is asking them to do something. Students might think about: What specific job is he asking me to do? Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
· Students can record any questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions. After the Speech:
· Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes or stick notes on a butcher paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, i.e. citizenship, personal responsibility, civic duty.
· Students could discuss their responses to the following questions: What do you think the President wants us to do? Does the speech make you want to do anything? Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us? What would you like to tell the President?
· Teachers could encourage students to participate in the Department of Education?s ?I Am What I Learn? video contest.
On September 8th the Department will invite K-12 students to submit a video no longer than 2 min, explaining why education is important and how their education will help them achieve their dreams. Teachers are welcome to incorporate the same or a similar video project into an assignment. More details will be released via www.ed.gov .
Extension of the Speech:
Teachers can extend learning by having students
· Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or puzzle pieces or trails marked with the labels: personal, academic, community, country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in those areas. It might make sense to focus on personal and academic so community and country goals come more readily.
· Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
· Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
· Interview and share about their goals with one another to create a supportive community.
· Participate in School wide incentive programs or contests for students who achieve their goals. · Write about their goals in a variety of genres, i.e. poems, songs, personal essays.
· Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
· Graph student progress toward goals.
Folks, this is way beyond a man inserting himself for hero worship. This is no less than the planned, refined indoctrination of America's children, to enlist them in the 'change' Obama has brought to Amerika with his radical czarist regime. National Socialism is raising it's very bloody, deadly head in America. [Can be read at http://porchmaunderings.blogspot.com as part of an essay on the issue]
Mr President, you say that your children should be off-limits.
SO SHOULD OURS!
Parents who object to this travesty should organize an "alternative activity" for the kids who don't want to watch the speech. How about a pizza party or a make-you-own-ice cream sundae party! You could have pony rides or games! Better yet, have a fried chicken and watermelon party. Just for the libs you could call it a "Summer Festival!"
Pick a side and stay on it.
BTTT
“Pick a side and stay on it.”
I already did. I sought out the most conservative schools and colleges in our area years ago. When I found some that really walked the talk, I pulled my kids from public schools and put them all in schools who would reinforce Christians conservative values.
So this is an opportunity to teach kids to think independently for the long-term benefits, ignoring the short-term consequences. Boldness will hone leadership qualities.
Why would that be “more effective”? It is silly to think your “complete abolition of government schooling” campaign will succeed. The awkwardly constructed word “Communfascism” will label you as a weirdo, which is too bad because you seem smart and I probably agree with you on everything except tactics. Although there are plenty of things going on right now to be incensed about, we have to attempt to keep our anger below the surface. If it is done truly effectively as it is in Kathleen’s letter, they will know it’s there, and the unseen shark is far more threatening.
BTW, my 4 kids are being homeschooled.
Hey Charles Johnson,
Explain this Obama Youth video produced by Democrats.
Children should not be politicized, let them be children Charles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmkxY05eI0k
I call that answer forcing the kid to watch it. Why? Social Coercion. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coercion) No kid wants to be separated from the group.
Tell them, in no uncertain terms, that such a policy is simply unacceptable because it is unfair social coercion. It is a dereliction of official duty on their part — they must first review the speech for content. There is no reason they cannot, it is easily recorded and played back on some more appropriate day as part of a prepared lesson plan.
This is the letter I sent to my kids principal:
Dear (Principals Name),
When it comes to teaching my child about personal responsibility and life goals, I have determined that I am a far better teacher of those objectives than a politician who has chosen to surround himself with known anarchists, communists, and terrorists.
Therefore, (childs name) will be removed from school on September 8, 2009 during the time period in which President Obama will be invading their school and trampling on children’s privacy. They are being removed in order in ensure they are not corrupted by the propaganda that will be shown in their classroom.
President Obama has not asked my permission to speak to my child, who is a minor, and I have not seen any of the curriculum which is expected to be handed out and discussed during this time. Furthermore, (school name) has not asked my permission for my children to view Obama’s speech, nor have they asked my permission to hand out material which is not part of the school’s normal curriculum, or given parents the right to “opt-out” of this presentation.
Please advise when Obama will be speaking and what other activities will be taking place around his speech so that I may pick up my child before the socialist indoctrination of our children begins. I will return them to school when this invasion of our public schools has concluded.
Respectfully Yours,
(borrowed from an unknown FReeper)
"Campaign" is probably too strong a word. I think of myself more as an "idea farmer" planting the seeds of an idea. Ideas are the **most** powerful thing in the universe ( literally). That the universe exists at all began as the spark of an idea in the mind of God.
As for complete abolition of government schooling why is that silly? Institutions that seem soooooo permanent can suddenly almost overnight lose their legitimacy. We have many examples. Christianity swept the pagan world very quickly. Martin Luther nailed his treatise to the church door and the Catholic Church that had existed for over a millennium was forever splintered. With the advent of the American Revolution absolute monarchies fell throughout the world.
As an institution, price-fixed, monopoly, and compulsory government K-12 schooling is really a very recent idea. Gee! Our county's government high school is celebrating its 100 anniversary this year, and my mom is 96. If Martin Luther's ideas can splinter the Catholic Church, an institution that was more than a millennium old, surely the institution of our modern compulsory government schooling ( in most states less than 150 years old) can surely crumble as well.
Also....Wherever vouchers, tax credits, and charter schools spring up, there arises long, long waiting lists of children with parents desperate to have their children accepted. Legislators will not be deaf to the cries of these politically highly organized parents. The voucher, tax credit, and voucher schools that are being organized and built will provide the infrastructure needed for complete privatization.
By the way, I believe there is a Green Dot high school in Los Angeles where the **teachers** themselves campaigned to break away from the government system. Imagine that! Teachers themselves!
The awkwardly constructed word “Communfascism” will label you as a weirdo, which is too bad because you seem smart and I probably agree with you on everything except tactics.
I agree with you about the awkward and invented word "communfascist" but honestly the enemy we are facing in our nation is neither pure Marxism or fascism. The power grab appears to be a mix of the two philosophies. If you have a suggestion for a term or expression that would better identify the problem ( enemy) I would appreciate your input.
As for being a "weirdo",...well...first they ignore, then mock ( weirdo), then they fight, and then we win! ( Paraphrasing M. Ghandi.)
Although there are plenty of things going on right now to be incensed about, we have to attempt to keep our anger below the surface.
As this refers to the larger community, I agree with you. For instance, I would **never** send my letter to a real principal. But...This is Free Republic, and essentially my letter was directed to the readers of this forum. I suppose I should have been more plain regarding my motivations and intentions for this post.
If it is done truly effectively as it is in Kathleen’s letter, they will know it’s there, and the unseen shark is far more threatening.
I agree. While the government schools exist, we should work to keep out the more brazen Marxist-fascist ( "communfascist") teaching and practices.
BTW, my 4 kids are being homeschooled.
Mine are adults now. They too were homeschooled and are successful adults.
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