Obama to Give Speech to School Students

[Josh42]

On September 8, 2009 President Obama will broadcast an address directed to students in the national public schools. This address will not be televised on major networks, but instead will be broadcasted at the White House website, and will begin at 12 noon EST.

 

Here is a brief summary of the speech listed by the Department of Education:

 

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.

 

Since taking office, the President has repeatedly focused on education, even as the country faces two wars, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and major challenges on issues like energy and health care. The President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy. Educated people are more active civically and better informed on issues affecting their lives, their families and their futures.

 

This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school. We encourage you to use this historic moment to help your students get focused and begin the school year strong.

 

http://www.examiner.com/x-19632-Salt-Lake-City-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m9d2-Obama-school-speech-directed-to-students--September-8-2009

 

A lot of education experts are calling it indoctrination, and I have to agree. Public school is fail.

[Josh42]

A suggested lesson plan that calls on school kids to write letters to themselves about what they can do to help President Obama is troubling some education experts, who say it establishes the president as a "superintendent in chief" and may indoctrinate children to support him politically.

 

But the White House says the speech is merely "designed to encourage kids to stay in school."

 

Obama will deliver a national address directly to students on Tuesday, which will be the first day of classes for many children across the country. The address, to be broadcast live on the White House's Web site, was announced in a letter to school principals last week by Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

 

Obama intends to "challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning," Duncan wrote. Obama will also call for a "shared responsibility" among students, parents and educators to maximize learning potential.

 

"The goal of the speech and the lesson plans is to challenge students to work hard in school, to not drop out and to meet short-term goals like behaving in class, doing their homework and goals that parents and teachers alike can agree are noble," Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, told FOXNews.com. "This isn't a policy speech. This is a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school."

 

But in advance of the address, the Department of Education has offered educators "classroom activities" to coincide with Obama's message.

 

Students in grades pre-K-6, for example, are encouraged to "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."

 

Teachers are also given guidance to tell students to "build background knowledge about the president of the United States by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama."

 

During the speech, "teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful."

 

For grades 7-12, the Department of Education suggests teachers prepare by excerpting quotes from Obama's speeches on education for their students to contemplate -- and ask as questions such as "Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us?"

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/02/critics-decry-obamas-lesson-plan-students/

[Matter-Eater Lad]

You have to brainwash people early....Stalin new that, guess Obama is catching on.(Its basic psychology)

[*Perrine*]

Why do you compare Obama with Stalin ??

[Matter-Eater Lad]

He is taking many of his strategies from former people such as Stalin. If we thought Bush was "Hitler" and bad, Obama has proven to be 100x worse. He has been quite clear on his political stance, Communism. The media however has toned down or completely ignored his speech's and advisers talking of Communism.

 

Stalin like many Communist or even fascist indoctrinated kids, psychologically speaking its the most effective way of controlling people.

 

I've been connecting the dots with Obama's speeches and writings and his advisers writings over the last 10 or 15 years and if you search enough you can see what their views truly are because they were open about them, but now they're mainstream they have to change the way the speak so it does not alarm the public. Obama's self proclaimed Communist adviser who likes Stalin even said, yes said, they have to change their tactics to bring about communism, change the way they make it sound. So they've admitted to what they want to do but also admitted to watering it down and changing the way they speak not to alarm the public. That is truly scary.

 

Also its quite scary how they've been so open about this, and open about changing their strategy to bring about Communism and most people don't even know this.

[*Perrine*]

Obama, a communist ? :lol:

I know I'm not living in the US, but I can't really understand why you all hate him so much :\

[Matter-Eater Lad]

Obama, a communist ? :lol:

I know I'm not living in the US, but I can't really understand why you all hate him so much :\

 

Because I've read and listened to his speech's and his adviser speeches throughout the year, I've studied fascism and communism most my life, from Lenin to Bush. If you compare his policies, and what he has said, recorded or written his policies openly align with Communism.

His close adviser said he is a Communist, how much more proof do you need?

 

I'm making this point from his speech's, writings, advisers and his political views that align with many famous Communist. How much of this have you studied? How many hours or years have you looked into these issues?

 

Like I said, he has been very open about this, like many of his advisers about Communism.

 

2+2=4 unless you have fancy propaganda saying otherwise like we have no with the media. All the main points of Communism aligns with his views.

 

I know I'm not living in the US, but I can't really understand why you all hate him so much

 

Because Obama's economic policies and social policies are almost the same of Stalin, Mussolini, and Lenin and those policies ended with the majority in poverty, enslavement and much death, do you like poverty, enslavement and death? I don't, thus I do not like Communism or Fascism.

 

Those policies are also elitist, which lead to a very small amount of people having all the wealth and power and the majority enslaved and in poverty. Did the people of Russia under Communism live well? It quite clear why I do not like Obama.

[*Perrine*]

Aww okay... I guess we just don't see him like that in Europe :\

[Josh42]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyUu-8nbd58]YouTube - A Tribute to Communism[/ame]

[Josh42]

Aww okay... I guess we just don't see him like that in Europe :\

 

It's good to hear that you're at least open minded :)

[*Perrine*]

Heyyy !! Why "at least" ? :P

[berrywoman]

You have to brainwash people early....Stalin new that, guess Obama is catching on.

 

:rolleyes: uh... no. First off.. whats so wrong about telling kids they are worth it and striving to be the best they can be? He's not telling them what to do.. he's merely giving them a pep talk? Because he actually cares about the future... kids are the future! oh and as for your communism comment... I would dare think that if anything, Obama is more socialist than communist.. there's a huge difference... and I'm not saying that he's either.. but sincerely, you always like to go against the grain. First you love Bush, now you hate him to the likes of Hitler.. lol your a winner :lol:

 

Obama, a communist ? :lol:

I know I'm not living in the US, but I can't really understand why you all hate him so much :\

 

 

not all... just a few loose nuts we like to call extreme right wingers... :) I voted Obama :) and I'm happy I did. The man has done more in his 200-something odd days in office that Bush did his whole term! lol

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I opened my mind and looked at the facts, and saw Bush for what he really was. I put aside the propaganda, and thought for myself...you should try it.

 

The man has done more in his 200-something odd days in office that Bush did his whole term! lol

 

Really, prove this, show some examples.

 

Btw how has his core economic policies different than Bush? He's a BIG military spender, I'm pretty sure he's spending more on the military than Bush. His economic policies dealing with the crisis are the same as Bush's, bail out banks, wall street and the corrupt Oligarchs. He stand behind Ben Bernanke who was Bush's golden boy, and he's Obama's too? Doesn't really sound like change to me.

 

Bush and Obama, more war, more spending, more attacks on our freedoms and Constittuion, but lets follow our fearless leader blindly! Hail Obama! Let us ignore logic, facts and history, lets be trendy and close our eyes, its so artsy and hip. Thinking for yourself and researching facts are for losers, ignorance is bliss....

[Matter-Eater Lad]

Oh and his approval rating is dropping as people finally look at what he's saying, doing and who he is appointing to be around him...Communist and radicals. People are rightfully scared of the personal army he wants and the Black Panther he appointed.

 

As our military gets bigger and our debt grows, people realize Communism from Obama is just as bad as Fascism from Bush.

[yeahhright]

^Thank you. Your several posts have gathered my general beliefs and made them into a cohesive and organized unit.

 

BTW I'm confused as to where this address will be shown. Is it going to be directly shown to all public schools or just a video put on the White House website? If the former, that is indoctrination getting the nations children together to listen to the Presidents thoughts and then getting them to write in the classroom how he will "inspire us" and "challenge us" and getting younger children to write letters about how they would help him. If the latter, then I don't see it being a big issue at all. President Obama seems the type who would post "inspirational" videos online.

 

Oh, and I'm not an "extreme right winger", I'm an independent and wasn't very fond of Bush either, but you cannot sit there and say Obama has accomplished more in his 200+ days than Bush in his entire presidency. Thats just media propaganda speaking and not a person who has researched their facts.

[Josh42]

:rolleyes: uh... no. First off.. whats so wrong about telling kids they are worth it and striving to be the best they can be? He's not telling them what to do.. he's merely giving them a pep talk? Because he actually cares about the future... kids are the future! oh and as for your communism comment... I would dare think that if anything, Obama is more socialist than communist.. there's a huge difference... and I'm not saying that he's either.. but sincerely, you always like to go against the grain. First you love Bush, now you hate him to the likes of Hitler.. lol your a winner :lol:

 

 

 

 

not all... just a few loose nuts we like to call extreme right wingers... :) I voted Obama :) and I'm happy I did. The man has done more in his 200-something odd days in office that Bush did his whole term! lol

 

Who says more = better?? I'd rather have a President who sits there doing nothing all day (other than cut taxes) than a President who goes out of his way to try to "fix things".

 

I know everyone is going to get mad at me for saying this, but your grammar really doesn't help prove your point.

[Josh42]

I really hope they broadcast this speech. I'll raise hell.

[Saffire]

I actually think it's cool he's doing this speech. It'll make children bored with politics from an early age.

 

Children are actually very good at being skeptics. Adults don't give them enough credit in this field.

[Josh42]

I actually think it's cool he's doing this speech. It'll make children bored with politics from an early age.

 

Children are actually very good at being skeptics. Adults don't give them enough credit in this field.

 

False. I don't think you realize how much school children love Obama...

 

My school is in a rich, predominantly white community. I'd say about 75% of adults here would consider themselves conservatives/republicans. In our school's mock election last year, Obama won in a landslide.

[Saffire]

Josh, Obama will reinforce the fact he's the "father of the nation" and it'll hit children later on what bullshit politics is. It might not have an immediate effect but it'll happen. Kids always have this "Road to Damascus" moment when they realize their parents aren't perfect people, and it's no different with authority figures.

 

The only reason Obama should ever talk directly to his subjects is during a state of emergency. All leaders know this, but Obama has been particularly bad at comprehending it - you need to limit your public exposure to reinforce your superiority. It's the "Wizard of Oz" effect.

[Josh42]

You would be the perfect dictator Jay, it's a shame you're an Anarchist.

[Saffire]

I've read "The Prince" enough to know how to run a State like a well-oiled machine.

 

Who can tax the sunshine? I can, damnit.

[the_gloaming09]

The more that I read about Obama and what he wants to do the more I dislike him and his policies. I'm neither republican or democrat, I'm independent and like to keep and open mind. I would say that fiscally I'm more conservative (less government, and spending), but socially more democrat (I believe in gay rights, women's choice, etc) I do not like Bush, but do feel that he took a lot of the blame for things when really I think it was Cheney who was the evil one controlling everything. I don't like Obama's overspending policies and trying to expand the government to the fullest extent.

 

In terms of this story I can sort of see where Obama's coming from in that we do need to focus in on childrens education, but at the same time I don't like the fact that he will be shown to american students , telling them to work hard, and stay in school. This should be the responsibilities of the PARENTS of the children to tell what to do.

[Saffire]

You make great points, it really should be up to the parents to make sure their kids get a good education. But the key thing here is to notice that Obama is basically begging these kids to do better in school, rather than changing the way public schools are managed.

 

The whole purpose of a public school is to provide jobs to teachers. Not to educate children. In a competitive environment, where all schools were private (and there are no taxes collected for education purposes), there would be incredible competition between schools to enroll children. They would tout the experience of their teachers, their curriculum, their cheap costs, their liberal contracts...

 

Because information is basically free, the market for education (the efficient delivery of information to a child's mind) would be fascinatingly creative. You'd see all sorts of new types of schools and organizations that would guarantee children a job upon graduation.

[Josh42]

100% privatized education is my wet dream.