Posted by
Adam Armer on Friday, September 04, 2009 1:50:49 AM
September 8th Obama will address our children in the classroom.
Frankly this is unacceptable for a number of reasons. That being said we must approach this on a local level, so I sent my children's principal a letter.
I would urge all of you to do the same thing. Please remember to be civil and show respect to our educators. The Presidential address has been added to the curriculum from the President himself. So our schools will only be following rules.
This is obviously one of the most frightening problems with this address.
Another is the school work that the students will be required to do before and after the address pertaining tho the address itself. This is indoctrination and should not be condoned.
Even if the address is harmless which I expect it to be it is a dangerous precedent to set in our schools.
Below is the letter I sent to my children's school.
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Dear Principal,
Tuesday September 8th, the president will address our children in your classrooms.
I appreciate the excitement surrounding this President and the significance of his election. This excitement has been cited by many as the reason to endorse this Presidential address.
The event that is his presidency may be historic, but it has not yet concluded. Reason would suggest that we first experience historic events before we teach our children about them.
We owe our children clarity when we describe history.
This being said, there is no good reason to change curriculum to accommodate a Presidential address of this sort. This address can only be seen as a political strategy, and should not be condoned by our educators.
The very idea of a President setting curriculum is frightening, and in stark contrast to the values of this country. Teachers, regardless of their positions, should resist this precedent. Most likely, this address will be harmless, but politicizing our classroom will most certainly have grave consequences.
Teachers are responsible, in part, for the future of our country. Responsibility demands that you as educators refrain from partisan politics in the classroom. I do acknowledge of course, that civics and social studies may require political discussion.
I am aware that Presidential addresses like this one are not unprecedented, as former President George Bush made a similar address during his terms. What is unprecedented is the requirement or change of curriculum made by the President. Understand that the former President requested for his address to be aired, he did not require it. It was also not accompanied by classroom work or homework meant to reinforce his message.
The office of president is a partisan one. This President will campaign for other candidates in 2010, and he will most likely run for re-election, himself in 2012. This alone is reason enough to refrain from the activities of September 8th.
I implore you as a concerned parent to consider the future implications of allowing this event to take place.
Sincerely,
Adam Armer