President Barack Obama’s address today to the nation’s school children will be recorded by Harford County Public Schools and then delivered to each school “for appropriate instructional use”. Teachers will decide whether and how the speech will be presented to their students, according to a message on the school system’s website dated yesterday (Labor Day – September 7).
A message sent out by HCPS at just after 10 a.m. Tuesday indicated the school system “will provide its students the opportunity to view President Barack Obama’s address by the end of the school day, Thursday, September 10.”
Questions about the president’s speech and the accompanying classroom activities planned by the U.S. Department of Education prompted HCPS to announce late last week that the speech would not be aired live. School officials cited internal instructional guidelines preventing the streaming of live broadcasts, but left open the possibility that the address would be shown at a later date.
According to the messages from HCPS, parents will be given advanced notice if the speech is to be used in their child’s classroom, including information about related classroom activities. Teachers will prepare these activities after previewing the speech and reviewing the suggested lessons from the federal education department.
Parents will also be able to opt their children out entirely and “other appropriate supervised activities will be provided”.
Here’s the full text of Tuesday morning’s statement from HCPS:
Presidential Address Update – September 8, 2009
Harford County Public Schools will provide it’s students the opportunity to view President Barack Obama’s address by the end of the school day, Thursday, September 10. Schools will make use of materials from both Harford County Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Education to conduct conversations of an instructional and motivational nature regarding the address.
The links to the transcript of the speech are provided below for parents to review.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
http://www.c-span.org/Any parent/guardian may choose to opt his/her child out of viewing the Presidential address by sending a note to school. Other appropriate activities will be provided.
Here is the text from Monday’s HCPS message:
Presidential Address Update 9-7-09
As previously noted, Harford County Public Schools will record President Barack Obama’s national address to students, which will be broadcast live on the White House website, as well as C-SPAN, at noon, Tuesday, September 8. A copy of the address will be delivered to each school for appropriate instructional use.
We recognize the significance and importance of the President’s address to students. The decision is based on allowing teachers ample time to prepare meaningful follow-up viewing and discussion activities by first having the opportunity to preview the address and suggested activities for pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing. This will provide teachers the opportunity to make the most informed and appropriate decisions regarding how to use the address in their classrooms.
Fortunately, the President’s message to the students of taking responsibility for their education, challenging them to set goals, and doing everything they can to succeed, is a timeless one. As such, we believe that this message will be better transmitted via a well-planned lesson rather than seeing it specifically on September 8th.
Teachers who will use the address in their classrooms will provide notice to parents which will include the nature of the lesson plan. Any parent/guardian may choose to opt his/her child out of viewing the Presidential address. Other appropriate supervised activities will be provided.
Should you choose to view the address, we have provided the link to the White house website below for parents, students, and others to access the Presidential address at home.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
http://www.c-span.org/
Here aret the internal instructional guidelines HCPS cited as preventing the streaming of live broadcasts:
Scaffolding: Viewing Video in a PreK-12 Classroom
Scaffolding is a temporary and adjustable structure that allows the accomplishment of a task that would be impossible without the scaffold’s support and framework. It allows students to access information and achieve proficiency in specific content and skills utilizing videos in the classroom.
There are two phases of scaffolding:
1. Planning and Preparation: In this phase, the teacher must address specific questions and considerations. These are:
a. Is this an approved video for use in the classroom?
b. Why is showing a video clip the preferred medium for conveying this content?
c. What is the objective for showing this video?
d. How will this experience enhance and develop student proficiency in the standards?
e. How much of the video needs to be shown to achieve the above goals?
f. What pre-viewing, during viewing, and post-viewing activities will accompany the use of a video selection?In the planning for using a video, it is imperative that the teacher views the selected segments prior to showing them to students.
Depending on the length, content, vocabulary, and depth of information covered by a given video segment, more or less scaffolding may be necessary.
2. Implementation: The actual implementation of a video segment requires 3 steps.
a. Pre-viewing activities prepare students for the video segment that they will view. These activities 1) provide motivation for viewing a video segment; 2) review and access prior knowledge that will place the information from the video into context; and 3) preteach aspects of the selection that students may be unfamiliar with.
b. During viewing activities transform the student from a passive observer to an active processor of information. These types of activities include strategies for acquiring, processing, and retaining the information from the video segment. During viewing activities in corporates the viewing of the video segment once without any organizer, and a second time with some data collection organizer.
c. Post-viewing activities debrief the students on the information presented to them in the video segment. The synthesis and evaluation of information, along with the reteaching of key concepts occurs in these structured activities. Assessment activities are embedded. Post-viewing activities incorporate a textual or pictorial reference in which to link the video.
Components of the Scaffolded Video Experience
Previewing Activities
Motivation: Activities that motivate provide students with a reason to be interested in the video segment. They can help connect the video segment to the lives and interests of students.
Establish Setting: The time, location, culture, and environment of the video should be established before viewing the movie.
Building Content Specific Knowledge: These activities introduce students to the significance of the film as it directly correlates to a given unit of study.
Preteaching Vocabulary: Introduces and highlights specific vocabulary that may arise during the video.
Preteaching Concepts: The presentation of major concepts in the video may need to be introduced or reviewed.
Relating Prior Knowledge: Activities such as these link the film to the unit of study.
Prequestioning: Models and reviews suggested strategies for viewing and learning from the video segment.
Prediction/Brainstorming: Allows for introductory activities that ‘set the stage’ for showing a video clip. These activities also provide connection to post-viewing activities.
During Viewing Activities: (One observed viewing, One active viewing)
-Graphic Organizers
-Story Maps
-Outlines
-Reflection Journals
-Direct QuestionsPost-Viewing Activities: (Linked to another source)
– Questioning: Questions that review specific information from the video segment.
– Discussion
– Writing Assignments: Brief and Extended writing responses, journal entries, speeches, news articles, etc.
– Dramatic Interpretation
– Debate
– Artistic, Graphic, and Nonverbal Activities: Posters, displays, museum style backboards, illustrations, etc.
– Application and Outreach Activities
– Reteaching of Concepts
SUGGESTION TO THE RIGHT WING:
Just sit back and relax, folks. Barack Obama is only performing a routine presidential duty that has been performed by presidents for generations. There’s nothing to be afraid of. He’s not trying to turn your babies into mini Marxists. This isn’t the Trotsky For Toddlers program. The president of the United States merely wants to have a heart to heart talk with the children of America about the importance of a good education, that’s all. I promise you, we Progressives do not believe in evil, subliminal messages. Chill out!
STNERAP RUOY LLIK – NERDLIHC
Just kidding.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
New York! 🙂
Where are you from “outsider” ?
I don’t get the people of the United States – what is their problem. Why would they not want their children to listen to a wonderful speech by the President. Is it because he’s a Black president or is it because he is a Democrate? Apparently the elder Bush gave the exact same type of speech during his time in the office and no one had a thing to say about that. I wonder why. I heard the speech and it was a very touching and heartful speech about staying in school, doing the right thing, not bullying kids, taking up for kids, doing your homework and reaching for your goals in life. How could anyone not want their kids to hear that. Now it were a weird White guy talking about drugs and rapping, such as M&M or someone like him, then all of the parents of the White schools and the school boards would have let that air in all of the classes, but not a speech my the President of the United States, just because he’s Black and a Democrate. Those are the kids that shoot up universities and sell drugs – kids of parents who are ignorant!
Oh boy here it comes!! Daggerpress get the blog roll ready! Somebody mentioned race, you know we can’t talk about that in a educated way, yet alone forum such as daggerpress without it turning into name calling and childish antics. If we all just be quiet about it we don’t have to discuss it, just walk around it like the spilled spaghetti jar in supermarket…wasn’t me, not I. lol.
Actually if the President would have made a speech that he was getting rid of Affirmative Action and racial categories in educational reporting than I think it may have been a speech of historic proportions. Why is the issue of race still such an issue if the President has proven that anyone can succeed even if you are of “mixed race”. There should be no more quotas and no more racial identification. It is divisive and it makes children have to label themselves and thereby creating subgroups of students.
And Janette wins with a well-played race card!
Janette –
The Presidents speech was well done. We should all respect the Office of President of the United States irrespective of who occupies it.
The events leading up to the speech managed by the White House regarding the lesson plan and previewing of the speech were handled poorly and parents had an absolute right to be concerned.
Finally, it is deplorable for you to label people who disagree with the President as racists.
Joe
Another update just went out that all students MUST be given the opportunity to view the speech. An alert now message will go home and parents will have the opportunity to opt out their children.
Thanks for keeping a cool head, Joe. Very good use of “deplorable.” Really freshens up the debate. If your knee-jerk reaction against this speech was not about race, then what was it about? Your fears that a secret socialist message would be included? Do you realize that sounds like a joke?
I for one am so sick and tired of Harford County Public Schools. Do you have any idea how much is covered up and swept under the rug so parents don’t find out on a daily basis with this school system. Then they have the balls to deny children the right to see the President of the United States tell them to work hard and stay in school and set goals and follow your dreams. This school system puts road blocks in front of children all the time. There are many backhanded sneaky lying principals who get ahead all the time yet we don’t want our children watching something that is very beneficial and just might spark a child’s interest in becoming something more. It is time that we get rid of the current members of the school board, the superintendent of Human Resources and the the secondary excecutive director.
please Tracy, tell us more about what’s swept under the rug… 🙂
You work for HCPS…you should know!!
I do? If that’s the case, man, the future is $@#&$…
I don’t work for hcps…
sorry…had to test you there…HCPS has their little weasles lurking all over the place…
I am pleased at the change in the school board’s position and curious about what caused it. What possible harm can come from the message as given? There may well be many parents who believe it to be unnecessary as they reinforce these ideas to their children themselves, but there are many parents who do not. It is for those children that this mesaage will be most powerful.
As for the idea that Obama seeks to warp small minds into a socialist mindset, it just sounds paranoid. Joe Scarborough put it best this morning on his show when he described the small minded communities who were blocking the speech as out of touch paranoids who were afraid their children of the corn would rise up and kill their teachers with hoes and rakes and establish a Marxist community of their own.
Well put Tami. I admire anyone who quotes Joe.
Tami one can not be too carefull. has any one checked with the CIA to determine if there was a subliminal message in his speech? yes this whole issue is ridiculous.
Glad the school board did the right and respectful thing. Air the speech which is non political. Now, does this really mean the schools will air the speech. You better do some double checking, I called Harford Tech today and was informed the Principal hadn’t decided if he was going to air it. When I emailed him, I got a much different response saying it would be aired no later than Thursday. This entire conversation was ridiculous and disrespectful to the office of the President of the United States. It’s been done before, it will be done again after President Obama leaves office so what is the big deal? If you want to debate Politics fine, don’t debate weather the children should hear their President tell them to stay in school, be focused, be innovative, work hard, don’t buy into the get rich quick scheme, have a good attitude….Every parent, Republican and Democrat should want their kid to hear that message.
And thank God that the protests of parents and other concerned citizens pressured the President’s teleprompter programmer to enter this “feel good, work hard” speech – a different speech than was originally planned.
You’ve pushed me over the edge- do you really believe this nonsense? It was always a work hard speech… The speech didn’t change because a few loonies think so. What’s the air like where you breath??? I’m not wasting my time reading any more conspiracy theorists- I already have a life. God help us all….and God bless the President!
It must be nice to have inside information like that. You’re special!
Bye! Have a nice day!
Phil,
Proud Teacher isn’t basing that statement on inside information. It is obviously an opinion, just as the ridiculous fears of indoctrination were an opinion.
Here are links to the classroom activities planned by HCPS for the President’s speech.
Here’s the link for Pre K – grade 5
http://www.hcps.org/PublicInformation/homepagelinks/GradesPreK-5BDAInstructional%20GuidelinesPresidentialAddressSept2009.pdf
And for grades 6 – 12
http://www.hcps.org/PublicInformation/homepagelinks/Grades6-12BDAInstructionalGuidelinesPresidentialAddressSept2009.pdf
HCPS sent out an Alert Now phone call tonight asking parents to send notes to school by tomorrow (Wednesday) if they want their children to opt out.
Trotsky For Toddlers… that’s too funny.
It is a sad day when this UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS STILL SHACKLED BY THE CHAINS OF DISCRIMINATION. WE LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY MARYLAND. WE ARE GRANDPARENTS. WE WORK HARD AND ARE GOOD PUBLIC AND CHRISTIAN SERVANTS, AND YES WE ARE AFRO-AMEMICAN JUST AS IS OUR US PRESIDENT. IT IS TROUBLING TO KNOW THAT I LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT IS SO DISRESPECTFUL TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE MAN WE ELECTED OVERWHELMINGLY TO SERVE IN IT. I PRAY THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO HEAL THE WOUNDED HEARTS OF PREJUDICE AND THAT ONE DAY THE PEOPLE OF THESE UNITED STATES WILL TRULY LIVE UNDER THIS STARS SPANGLE BANNER IN THE TRUTH THAT EVERY MAN,WOMEN AND CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, EVERY MAN IS EQUAL IN GODS SIGHT. I PRAY FOR OUR HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY, OUR TROOPS, OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD TO HAVE PEACE.
Why are you bringing race into this argument? I strongly disagree with you. Obama (and his far left machine) fooled many of us into supporting him when he ran on a platform of leading from the middle, transparency, etc… Unfortunately for him and the Country, he has allowed the face of the Nation to become Nancy Perlosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Maxin Waters,Henry Waxman and their far left beliefs.
Like I said earlier, if Obama would have talked to the students when he was elected, he would have been welcome. The last eight months have left most independent thinkers with too many doubts. He now looks very much like a senator with the most liberal voting record in the senate.
It is a sad day when some African Americans still feel the need to play the race card…
PAY ATTENTION THAT IS MY OPINION, IT IS WHAT IT IS. WATCH YOUR 24 NEWS CYCLES. THAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE, SOME OF US THROW YOUR ROCKS AND HIDE YOUR HANDS. LET US BE CANDID WITH EACH OTHER!
I’m white. I read a lot of this anger towards the president as being racially motivated as well. I get that people on the right dislike Obama’s politics — I can certainly relate, after sitting through George W. for 8 years. But I haven’t heard a right-leaning protestor explain why Obama is so much worse than Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter. When people start suggesting ludicrous conspiracies, that make it sound like the president bent on ruining our country, rational folks are left trying to understand the extremity of that suggestion. It’s hard to interpret it as anything other than being about fear that a black man is the leader of the free world, and that that scares the crap out of some people, so they’re suddenly screaming about taxes that they’d been quietly paying for years under Republican administrations. I’d feel much better if someone on the right could explain how I’m wrong in this.
I RECEIVE YOUR COMMENT, I AM AFRO-AMERICAN, AND FEMALE. IT IS NOT
FAIR TO OUR PRESIDENT, TO HAVE TO TURN AROUND THE MESS THAT HE INHERITED AND DEAL WITH THE 24 HOUR NEWS CYCLE AND DEAL WITH RACIST COMMENTS AND ULTIMATE DISRESPECT. I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT NOT ALL AMERICANS ARE DISMISSIVE OF OUR PRESIDENT, HE HAS A DIFFICULT TASK AHEAD OF HIM. I PRAY FOR HIM! HE HAS REQUESTED THE NATIONS HELP. I HOPE WE HEAR HIS CALL. WE ALL ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE. IF SOMETHING GOOD DOES NOT HAPPEN SOON I CANNOT IMAGINE WHERE THE NATION WILL END UP. PEOPLE ARE HURTING ALL OVER THIS NATION. IT IS REAL.
I’m willing to pay higher taxes for the government to provide a keyboard to Patricia that has a Caps Lock key that SHE CAN TURN OFF.
Yeah, Phil. Scream-typers on both sides of the aisle kind of FREAK ME OUT!!!!
Matt, I know I’m commenting late on this, but opposition to Pres Obama’s policies is driving the “protests”. This country was founded on freedom, individualism, the right to benefit and keep the fruits of your labor. Obama thinks “the rich” got that way by thievery. No, most of them worked hard. This country didn’t become great because of government. Pres. Obama has no understanding that it is self-interest that drives people to go to school, work hard, borrow money to start a business so that their family can live well. And in the process, they create jobs for other Americans. Govt takes money from Americans. Look at Medicaid! If they could save all this money from fraud what the heck are they waiting for! Too many govt employees don’t care about being good stewards of the tax payers money. Do a search of Pres Obama’s speeches. When was the last time he mentioned the word Freedom or Liberty. Our healthcare plans are our property! They have no right to take over health care, banks, car companies. It is socialist countries (Venezuela, N. Korea) where govt controls production. And look how badly they are doing. We have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That means we have the right to make our own life choices. Get govt out of our lives.
WE ARE CERTAINLY HAPPY THAT OUR HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE PRESIDENT OBAMA PREPARED FOR THEM. THE NEWS MEDIA HAS PLACED SUCH A SPIN ON OUR BOARDS INTENTIONS AND I WOULD REQUEST THAT A RESPONSIBLE MEMBER OF THE HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF ED CLEAR THE AIR BY WAY OF THE NEWS MEDIA. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT BECAUSE HARFORD COUNTY DID NOT SUPPORT THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA THAT THE OFFICALS IN CHARGE AND SOME PARENTS IN THIS REGION CAUSED A BACK LASH CONCERNING TO VIEW OR NOT TO VIEW. HE IS OUR PRESIDENT, GET OVER IT! LET’S MOVE FORWARD!WE ARE A DIVERSE SOCIETY HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY AS IS ALL OVER THIS NATION AND I AM SURE THAT ALL ETHIC BACKGROUNDS WILL ALWAYS BENEFIT FROM AN ENCOURAGING WORD ESPECIALLY FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WE HOPE WE WILL HERE AN EXPLANATION OF CLARITY FROM OUR HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF ED, AND I PRAY THAT THE MAN WE ELECTED FOR OUR NATIONS PRESIDENT WILL GET THE RESPECT THAT HE DESERVES MOVING FORWARD.
WE ARE ALL IN THIS MESS TOGETHER, IT IS NOT ABOUT RACE IT IS ABOUT MAINTAINING A PROSPERIOUS LIFE. SOME OF US HAVE AND SOME OF HAVE NOT. THE COST OF OUR PEOPLE NOT HAVING IS TOO GREAT AND IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE WHO HAVE DO NOT BE DISMISSIVE OF THOSE THAT HAVE NOT BECAUSE IF THIS NATION DOES NOT MAKE SO CHANGES IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE NONE OF US WILL HAVE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GROWN A CUSTOM TOO! PULLING THE RACE CARD WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IN FACT IT IS NOT EVEN ABOUT RACE, IT IS ABOUT HUMANITY AND GOD’S DIVINE PLAN FOR HIS PEOPLE!
if you do a case search on a certain name in Harford County….wow is all I have to say….now obviously there could be multiple families with that last name but….they sure are keeping APD busy….the comments here made me wonder if the poster feels like they are always a victim of an oppressive society
Wait, wait, wait…so someone posts a comment on a blog and the first thing you do is to look up their criminal record?!?!?
MY LAST COMMENT PROSPERITY HAS NO ETHIC BACKGROUND. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION STAND TOGETHER IN UNITY WITH THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS NO MATTER RATHER IT IS A RIGHT OR LEFT DECISION, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER ALL THE COMMENTS, WE THE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND NEED THIS MESS FIXED, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAD OR FOLLOW? IF NOT, PLEASE! GET OUT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S WAY!!!!!
I DON’T REMEMBER ANYBODY STANDING IN PRESIDENT BUSH’S WAY TO A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR WAR, THERE WENT THE NATIONS PROSPERITY! HEALTHCARE, JOBS, FAMILIES LEFT WITHOUT THERE LOVED ONES, THE WOUNDED, LOSS OF OUR BLOOD AND TREASURE,WOW, HOW SOON WE FORGET THE LAST 8 YEARS.
Well said.Obama is the president. Sour-grape Republicans need to get over that.
I dont care if he is black, white, yellow or green! He has been spending money foolishly cause us more debt.I was never a fan of Clinton or Carter either and the media bash them also. I think that Bush got and is still getting more bashing than anyone. How can anyone spin this to a race issue. Peoples main concerns are his spending and wanting bigger govt.. What does that have to do with the color of his skin. I do believe that his choice of friends is a very serious concern. Too many radicals, antiamerican and antifreedom buddies and czars. If he was a white man, women, Oriental, whatever…it would be a serious concern to me who he chooses to associate with.
Hatred is what we’re talking about, and that is something this president is seeing more of than anyone in recent memory.
Please explain your “radicals, antiamerican and antifreedom buddies and czars” comment.
It’s great to have you back in this country, Dave.
I’m assuming that you must have been somewhere else if you didn’t happen to notice the hatred directed at President Bush. He was called Bushitler, fascist, chimp, idiot, moron, lying bastard, terrorist, etc. on a repeated basis by notable loudmouths and unknown blowhards. He was accused of knowing about and participating in 9/11, and of having secret business deal with Bin Laden. Did you miss the posters showing him in the crosshairs of a gun sight? A movie was even made depicting his assassination.
So, if this is the most hatred you’ve seen in recent memory, I think you should be checked for Alzheimers.
The U.S.A. did have secret business with Bin Laden. Check your history. We aided him during his battle against Russian invaders. Bush’s people swept that under the rug.
Mom I notice you only call out democrats? Clinton actually had a balanced budget, maybe more social programs then we wanted. Bush over spent and increased the size of govt. Reagan spent like a teenage girl with a no limit credit card in a store. The rational for the Reagan spending did in fact help end the cold war but he still was a spender. Fact is you only call out spenders of one party lets please be fair with the overspending.
Clinton only balanced the budget because of the huge productivity gains and tax revenue increases due to the PC. Let’s get real. Then he raised taxes.
Also, Reagan, while he did have a deficit, each annual deficit was smaller than the Obama deficits PER MONTH in 2009. He was facing the Cold War.
While it important to have an end to the federal deficit in sight, we should have our long-term goals for the country in mind.
If we want a free country where people can own businesses and make a profit, then we should make decisions that contribute to that. If we feel that profits are greedy and that there is no place in society for them, then that is how we should execute government policy. I just want my officials to be frank with me.
JOin us that is fine but to only single out politicians from one pparty and fail to mention the ones from the other party that spent more money then a bachelor party in a strip club is disingenuous
Regardless of where you stand on this issue, I bleieve that we can all agree that this situation was not handled well from the outset.
First, school system officials said that it is their “POLICY” to screen such speeches to ensure that they are appropriate for students. I could accept that if we adhered to this policy for speeches given by former presidents. If not, then why not?
It seems however, that either this is a new policy or a policy that had not been enforced when previous Presidents gave speeches to Harford County students. If not, then why not?
To make matters worse, school officials stated that they weren’t going to air the speech, then reversed that decision. Why?
NOTE: “Policy” is set by the “School Board”. And several of the current board members were on the board when President Bush gave a speech to Harford County School children. Might a reasonable person ask-what is the difference? Absent a reasonable explanation from OUR “appointed” school board leadership, might some reach their own conclusion? Something that we all do.
Remember that Harford County Government just went through an exhaustive PR campaign to convince BRAC folks to relocate here. I recall ONE piece of adverse info was that there were KKK in Aberdeen/Harford County. I am not trying to draw a connection between the decision of the School Board and KKK but, as a result of what we do know could a reasonable person conclude that there might be some truth to that?
Young people voted for President Obama in unprecedented numbers. What impact will the school system’s handling of this situation have on future elections in Harford County-only time will tell.
Was this a School System decision or a School Board decision? We need to see and hear from our “LEADERS” to include our newly appointed superintendent and not their surrogates.
Lastly, the only elected official to speak out about this situation is Councilman Dion Guthrie. Perhaps the others are working “behind” the scenes!!!
We know that this is just a sign of things to come. And if this is any indication about how our leadership handles sensitive matters-we could be in trouble.
“Remember that Harford County Government just went through an exhaustive PR campaign to convince BRAC folks to relocate here. I recall ONE piece of adverse info was that there were KKK in Aberdeen/Harford County. I am not trying to draw a connection between the decision of the School Board and KKK but, as a result of what we do know could a reasonable person conclude that there might be some truth to that?”
Congratulations!
You just drew a connection between the School Board and the KKK. Nice backhanded job!
And by the way, none of the present school board members were on the board when President George H.W. Bush made his speech in 1991. Absent a reasonable explanation, might some reach their own conclusion about this statement?
Jansen, this might answer some of your questions:
http://www.daggerpress.com/2009/09/09/harford-schools-never-planned-to-censor-obamas-speech-just-to-incorporate-it/
They used to let that damn ex-mayor of Aberdeen go and speak at my kid’s school all the time without parental consent. Now all my kids talk about are insurance premiums…
I can’t believe that people are getting this upset about all of this. I didn’t vote for Obama and I still have no problem with him addressing students. Maybe those that oppose the speech should come to my kid’s school and see that the president telling them to work hard and stay in school could have a positive effect. And yes, it could have a positive effect strictly because of his race. Most kids in the school wouldn’t care less if Bush told them the same thing.
Here’s a news flash. Kids don’t see this as a partisan issue. Only the parents do.
Sorry Steve, but there is a huge difference. The only speaking that damn ex-mayor ever did was by invitation and then he only read to the kids. What he read was always selected by the teacher.
With Obama, the entire situation was handled poorly. To notify the schools that POTUS is going to speak and here is the material to prepare smacks of something ominous. Those of us who still think of him as a post turtle get really wary when that happens. His intentions may well have been pure, but I don’t think so.
Dave
What do you think his intentions were?
Dave,
Sarcasm is difficult to portray through a comment. My kids were actually pretty upset that the damn ex-mayor didn’t win.
I don’t think it smacks of something ominous. This isn’t the first time its happened, and won’t be the last.
But now that I think back to when I was in school, maybe that “presidential fitness exam” I had to take every year was simply Reagan trying to make me into some sort of super-soldier so I could smuggle arms to the contras. 😉
Mr Phil Dirt:
Thanks for setting the record straight.