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President Barack Obama’s plan for a nationwide speech to school students Tuesday may have sparked fury elsewhere, but local districts seem to be taking a low-key approach to the issue.
Reports elsewhere paint a picture of parents angrily insisting they will keep children home from school rather than let them listen to Obama’s speech, which some critics contend he will use to “indoctrinate” children with his political views and agenda.
The U.S. Department of Education sent out e-mails saying the noon speech, expected to last no more than 20 minutes, will “challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.”
Locally, three district superintendents reached Friday afternoon all said the same thing: use of the speech in class will be up to teachers, and any parents that have concerns about such a program can contact the district.
Crestwood Superintendent David McLaughlin-Smith said he had received only two calls from parents concerned about the speech. Dallas Superintendent Frank Galicki and Wyoming Area Superintendent Ray Bernardi said they also had received only a few calls.
The Times Leader had heard that Lake-Lehman School District had received calls opposing the speech, but attempts to reach Superintendent James McGovern on Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.
All three superintendents reached said the speech would be recorded and available to teachers who want to use it. There were no plans for school-wide viewing or assemblies.
Crestwood and Dallas also posted notices on their Web sites explaining how the districts plan to handle the event.
Critics have also pointed to a “Menu of Classroom Activities” issued by the U.S. Department of Education that suggests things teachers and students can do in connection with the speech. According to an article in Education Week, one Republican superintendent in Arizona complained the materials “call for a worshipful, rather than a critical approach to this speech.”
The article also said the materials were modified after the barrage of criticism.
The White House has announced it will release the prepared remarks on Monday for teachers and parents to view online.
Education Week also noted that presidents have given speeches aimed at students before, including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.