A Lesson With a Plan?

Next Tuesday at 12:00 Eastern, the White House is going to webcast a Presidential address aimed directly at our schoolchildren. The address will also be broadcast on C-Span. This historical event has been prefaced by a letter sent from Arne Duncan (SecEd) to school principals across the country. Included with the letter were suggested activities for before and after the speech. The activities are divided into two age groupings: Grades PreK-6th, Grades 7th-12th. Setting aside the creepy implications set out in the alarmist media about "indoctrination", I still have some concerns about the appropriateness of this event.

In the essence of full disclosure, I am not an Obama supporter (I doubt that any of you are shocked by this revelation). His Keynesian thought process and socialistic tendencies scare the hell out of me. That being said, can someone tell me the purpose of this address? I tend to believe that this is a strategic move designed to help a President whose approval ratings have fallen. It is classic politics: design a speech that touts education as a high priority (as if your opponents do not place the same value on it) and get in front of as many people as possible.

The vehicle that has been chosen by the administration also calls into question their motives. By not using the traditional method of requesting airtime on major networks, the President is isolating himself from critique. Will the minority have a chance to address students as well? Will we end up with a popularity contest among schoolchildren? Of course, the Department of Education and the White House both contend that this is not a political speech. I have news for them, everything that a U.S. President does is political! If President Obama wanted to remove doubt about his motives, why not invite members of the opposing party to join him in the address? For that matter, why not just have the First Lady deliver the speech?

I called my daughter's school yesterday to see if the principal had received the information about the President's address. She had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. Apparently, the letters were sent only to principals of public schools. I ask you, is this not discriminatory? Do children whose parents send them to private/parochial school not get to hear their "beloved leader" speak? Will they not have a chance to "help the President"? I read this morning that the White House has altered this language due to criticism. If this is not supposed to be political, then why the change?

Finally, I do think we should begin teaching our children about the workings of government at an earlier age. However, the education should be of a basic nature: Why is the Declaration of Independence important?, What rights do you have?, How are laws made?, What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?, etc.

AA