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Update on Keller ISD: Posted on the website

Keller ISD students will have the opportunity to view September 8 Presidential address
All Keller Independent School District students will have the opportunity to view President Barack Obama’s September 8 address to the school children of America.

President Obama announced in late August that he would make a special afternoon address specifically for the country’s student population. The 30-minute address is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central Standard Time, which means it will take place while many KISD students are out of the classroom for lunch.

Each of Keller ISD’s 36 campuses will determine their own plan of action on how their students may view the address, however live video will be made available through the district’s internal Web portal. Following the speech, a recorded version of the speech will be located in the same location for those students and classes that were not able to view it live.

“The district will not relive the ‘off and on again’ inauguration decision,” KISD Board of Trustees President Cindy Lotton said. “All students will have the opportunity to view President Obama’s speech.”

Last spring, Keller ISD administrators initially decided that the Presidential Inauguration would not be shown as it presented an interruption to regular curriculum. However, that decision was later reversed and live and taped viewings of the inauguration were made available to all students.

The district has received feedback from concerned parents who have voiced their disapproval of making the speech available and prefer that their children not view the address.

“We will make the Presidential address available to all our students district-wide,” Keller ISD Superintendent Dr. James Veitenheimer said. “However, parents who prefer that their students not watch the broadcast have the option to notify the campus that their child does not have permission to view the segment.”

Any student not viewing the address will be excused to a determined on-campus location during the speech.

This is thought to be the first time a sitting president has specifically addressed school-aged students in a live speech. The U.S. Department of Education has stated that the President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens.