President Obama's Speech to Students

As many of you have no doubt heard, President Obama has scheduled a Presidential address to school children throughout the United States for Tuesday, September 8 at 9:00 AM PST. Based on information received from the United States Department of Education and Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, the address is likely to last 15-20 minutes, and the President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning.

It is up to local education agencies to determine if they want their students to participate in this historic address or not. As with other televised presentations, the Genesee School District makes a determination what is appropriate for our students based on grade level, subject, and content. When such an address fits within our curriculum and is appropriate, we would consider the merits of the program prior to showing it in class.

It is not unusual for students studying American Government to watch various news programs, Presidential addresses and other pertinent content. Other social studies classes might find the content fitting well within the curriculum. Teachers have limited instructional time which they guard zealously. Often only segments of televised speeches or movies are used to demonstrate a specific idea or subject.

I would recommend that parents watch the address live or later on the Internet and discuss it with their children. Given the competition our students are in with students in China, India and other emerging economies, they would be wise to work harder, set short and long-term goals and take responsibility for their learning. As parents, we are primarily responsible for the development of these qualities in our children. These are also qualities that educators feel strongly students should develop in public school.

As parents, it is incumbent upon us to teach our children our family values. Students well grounded in the value system and culture of their family are able to think independently and reflect upon what they learn in school and in society at large. I appreciate all of the calls and emails I have received on this issue. It demonstrates to me that you care about your children and your children's education. You can rest assured we also care and will insure our due diligence when determining the content of our curriculum.