Has Any Previous President Ever Addressed Schoolchildren . . .
. . . with a special address just to them on September 8 and provided guidelines on how teachers should discuss his remarks with students?
Blogger Jim Hoft calls this “unprecedented.” It sounds like he’s right, but is he? Are you aware of any of his predecessors delivering a national address to our nation’s schoolchildren? Did, say, Franklin Delano Roosevelt take to the radio to remind them of the importance of the war effort and the sacrifices their parents, uncles and older brothers must make? And how they could help out at home?
Considering the questions the White House has provided, blogging law professor William A. Jacobson contends that the Administration has the “whole line of reasoning and questioning . . . backwards. It may have become lost in the mania, but HE [Obama] works for US, not the other way around.“
Read Jacobson’s post, ponder his question and wonder whether it’s appropriate for an American President to deliver such an address.
FROM THE COMMENTS: Skip answers my question:
His own secretary of ed says: ‘This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation’s school children about persisting and succeeding in school.“
Emphasis added. I wonder how the media would have reacted if the incumbent’s predecessor tried to pull this off.
UPDATE: Jim Geraghty weighs in:
Perhaps this will be a completely innocuous, standard-issue “education is important, study hard, and you can achieve all your dreams” that the President usually gives to one classroom around this time of year. If so, there’s not too much need for hullabaloo. And besides, it’s not like Obama’s the first national leader to think of addressing all the country’s children at once; the idea has been around since 1984.
UP-UPDATE: In her syndicated column, Michelle Malkin details how teachers’ unions and other Obama allies have used the classroom to promote liberal policies:
The activist tradition of government schools using students as junior lobbyists cannot be ignored. Zealous teacher’s unions have enlisted captive schoolchildren as letter-writers in their campaigns for higher education spending. Out-of-control activists have enlisted their secondary-school charges in pro-illegal immigration protests, gay marriage ceremonies, environmental propaganda stunts, and anti-war events.
As per the gay marriage ceremonies mentioned above, the problem was not the ceremony, but that the teacher took her class there. It would be just as problematic if a straight teacher took her class to her traditional wedding.
UP-UP-UPDATE: Apparently, this type of address is not entirely unprecedented. My brother alerts me to this in at the end of a front page story in September 3rd’s Denver Post:
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush addressed the nation’s students, urging them to study hard, avoid drugs and turn in troublemakers. In his speech, he told students to ignore peers “who think it’s not cool to be smart.”
And Democrats responded then by criticizing him for spending Department of Education money on a broadcast they claimed was political advertising used to counter claims that he was ignoring domestic issues.
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This reeks of 1984 or Dear leader Kim Jong il. All I can say is that Lausd starts on the 9th.
The more I see how this guy operates the sicker I get.
Comment by Leah — September 1, 2009 @ 10:25 pm - September 1, 2009
FDR might have done something like this given the gravity of the times and the united effort needed, but I don’t know for sure. I don’t see our current problems, even the GWOT, as necessitating such an approach today. I find this to be disturbing.
Comment by John — September 1, 2009 @ 10:37 pm - September 1, 2009
Creepy……
Comment by GoCon — September 1, 2009 @ 10:56 pm - September 1, 2009
Nope. Not even FDR in the darkest days of World War II. Kids were urged to buy savings stamps that eventually added up to a $25 War Bond, collect metals, even knit squares for afghans for wounded soldiers, but no one–on our side– considered making speeches to the kids and indoctrinating them.
It doesn’t seem to be about America though, just–once again–all about him.
Comment by the elephant's child — September 1, 2009 @ 11:01 pm - September 1, 2009
The President of Germany used to address schoolchildren and have aides guide the discussion… starting, oh, around 1934 to be precise.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 2, 2009 @ 12:58 am - September 2, 2009
This is really going to piss me off. I’m a history and government teacher. This could be a VERY useful presentation to kids, getting them to think about the job, duties, and responsibilities of the president. But you just know it’s going to be a propaganda piece, something along the lines of “your mommy’s and daddy’s aren’t helping me pass my health care so we can fix you when you’re sick, or the global warming bill, so you don’t die in the future. Tell them to stop being bad people and support me”. I pray that it won’t be that, but I know it will. I do not get political when I sub, but if I am sub’ing, and I’m right, man, it will be all I can do not to go off.
Comment by Sonicfrog — September 2, 2009 @ 1:15 am - September 2, 2009
His own secretary of ed says: “This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation’s school children about persisting and succeeding in school.” on his letter to school principals. http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html
Comment by Skip — September 2, 2009 @ 1:49 am - September 2, 2009
@Sonic,
if there is room for a little leading of your own, maybe you can encourage the children to actually criticize what is being said……….
Comment by thestraightaussie — September 2, 2009 @ 5:07 am - September 2, 2009
I don’t know if I’ll be teaching that day, but if I do, and if I’m able to, I will point out any overbroad statements made by the Prez. My rebuttal won’t be of a political nature, more in line with my skeptical POV. But again, it depends on what he says.
I live in a pretty conservative region, so I’m not sure how this will play anyway.
Comment by Sonicfrog — September 2, 2009 @ 9:51 am - September 2, 2009
“Get them while they’re young, Evita. Get them while they’re young.”
Comment by Julie Kelleher — September 2, 2009 @ 10:01 am - September 2, 2009
Thank goodness my child’s school year does not start until the next day (Sept 9).
Comment by Juju — September 2, 2009 @ 11:25 am - September 2, 2009
here is a new take on the Pledge. . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRY5waZ4IbE
Comment by rusty — September 2, 2009 @ 3:02 pm - September 2, 2009
as parents and relatives of children, the children should be warned against this propoganda. in these times only the informed and the strongest of fortidude will win the day. keep alert and tell others. if you are a believer as i am, PRAY TO OUR GOD for our country. imho
Comment by southernsue — September 2, 2009 @ 3:23 pm - September 2, 2009
sf chronicle: As is the case with all field trips, parents had to give their permission and could choose to opt out of the trip. Two families did. Those children spent the duration of the 90-minute field trip back at school with another first-grade class, the interim director said.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/MNFG13F1VG.DTL#ixzz0PylsD7RG
The event was orchestrated by parents of children in the class.
SFChron–A parent came up with the idea for the field trip – a surprise for the teacher on her wedding day.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/MNFG13F1VG.DTL#ixzz0PymcITKM
The teacher who got married was not involved in the planning or executing the field trip.
Thanks so much for your support SS.
Comment by rusty — September 2, 2009 @ 3:33 pm - September 2, 2009
As is the case with all field trips, parents had to give their permission and could choose to opt out of the trip.
Which somehow makes up for the fact that public school children were pulled out of the classroom for a topic that is totally irrelevant to a first-grade educational curriculum.
But of course, rusty doesn’t care, because what’s important here is that children are being indoctrinated into proper gay leftist doctrine. Does rusty also support children being pulled out of school with the full support of their teachers and administrators to attend Yes on 8 rallies as long as their parents agree to it?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 2, 2009 @ 8:19 pm - September 2, 2009
This reminds me a bit like the Hitler Youth ……………..
Comment by Swampfox — September 2, 2009 @ 8:44 pm - September 2, 2009
Seriously, folks.
“Proper gay leftist doctrine”? Are you for real?
Our children, here in the Bible Belt anyway, are constantly berated into attending and participating in the endless christian doctrine-stuffed Christmas holiday functions, plays and “celebrations” that occur year in and year out in our public schools.
Seriously. What political propaganda? I find it admirable that President Obama would take the time to speak to our children to impress upon them the importance of education and success, therein. I can’t think of anybody more important to take the time to talk to than our own children. Have I just totally missed something here? Am I NOT reading … Read Moresomething into the Press Release, that others are? If anybody has insight into what exactly the President might say to the children of the United States that “may” be considered “propaganda”, then please feel free to fill us all in.
“(AP) The United States is losing ground in education, as peers across the globe zoom by with bigger gains in student achievement and school graduations, a study shows.
Among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. is ninth among industrialized nations in… the share of its population that has at least a high school degree.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/national/main838207.shtml
Comment by John Wisdom — September 3, 2009 @ 12:55 am - September 3, 2009
The hilarity of your argument, John Wisdom, is that you don’t realize the reason that our schools are slipping is because liberals like yourself are taking children to lesbian weddings and making them watch political indoctrination speeches instead of actually having them work on things like math and science.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 3, 2009 @ 3:02 am - September 3, 2009
This was all I found…and I don’t have the time (nor do I wish to spend time doing so) to confirm it. Maybe someone else can see if this is true or not. Scroll down, just a bit, and read the “Flashback” segment: http://ky3.blogspot.com/2009/09/video-obama-school-speech-debate.html
Comment by Jillian O'Grady — September 3, 2009 @ 3:19 am - September 3, 2009
#17: “I find it admirable that President Obama would take the time to speak to our children to impress upon them the importance of education and success, therein.”
Of course you do, John Wisdom. But then again, Obama supporters would find it admirable if the President’s presentation to these kids consisted of biting the heads off of live kittens. YES, you are missing something. If this man gave a crap about the future of these children he wouldn’t be saddling them with a mountain of debt that can ONLY be paid with crushing taxes on their future incomes. If he cared at all, he wouldn’t be on a crusade to crush the businesses that might someday hire them with insane regulations like the cap and trade bill. He’s also doing everything in his power to ensure that they will have to deal with a pathetic, ineffective healthcare system. And what Obama doesn’t seem to get is that it is a fool’s errand to try and get a generation of kids all jazzed up about “civic responsibility” and “public service” while simultaneously taking away EVERYTHING that might have given these kids a sense that they had an obligation to “give something back to the community.” THAT is what you and this imbecile of a President are “missing.” This generation of children is going to grow up believing that they have been STOLEN FROM. And yet you and THE ONE think that they are going to want to “give something back”?!?! Dream on.
Comment by Sean A — September 3, 2009 @ 9:06 am - September 3, 2009
Umm…no! This sounds like he is trying to brainwash our children. Why does he need to speak to our innocent, young minded children? Cause he cares? Really? Yeah, not so much! I say, BACK OFF OBAMA! This is a pretty scary, chilling thing and I think with anyone with at least a half a brain should analyze this and head the warnings coming. I didn’t vote for this person, so don’t blame me!
Comment by Rachael — September 3, 2009 @ 12:31 pm - September 3, 2009
Hard for me to see how this is a big deal. Why is it any different when Obama does it than when Bush did it?
Comment by arjay — September 3, 2009 @ 4:13 pm - September 3, 2009
So you agree then arjay that is is a ‘political advertising used to counter claims that he was ignoring domestic issues?’
Comment by The Livewire — September 4, 2009 @ 11:51 am - September 4, 2009
I don’t think I’m hallucinating, but I seem to remember a message from the president (JOhnson or Kennedy) played at my school that said if we worked hard and studied math and science, we might be able to be part of the space program when we grew up. We loved it. It was very energizing and powerful to a lot of kids. Especially kids who weren’t necessarily being given high expectations at home.
Comment by Lisa Paul — September 7, 2009 @ 8:47 pm - September 7, 2009