DETAILS:
State Rep. Sally Kern said a planned presidential speech to the nation’s students appears to cross the line into political advocacy.
“Unfortunately, it appears this event is more about indoctrination of students than education,” said Kern, R-Oklahoma City. “No president, Republican or Democrat, should interrupt the educational process in this manner. President Obama is always in the news so there is ample opportunity for students to see him.”
President Barack Obama has announced that on September 8 he will deliver a national address directly to students.
The event includes a prepared menu of classroom activities for students.
“Unfortunately, the proposed classroom activities include things such as having students write about how they can help the president,” Kern noted. “Our school children should not be exploited this way for partisan purposes.”
She noted that the lesson plan calls for students’ letters to be “collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.”
“To many parents, it looks like children are going to be held ‘accountable’ if they don’t propagandize on behalf of the Obama administration,” Kern said. “I’m sure those involved are well-meaning, but the appearance here is very troubling.”
The prepared materials also include suggested questions for students, such as, “What can I do to help the President?” and “What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?”
Kern said parents concerned about the issue should contact their local school principal, superintendent and school board members and state their disapproval. If school officials will not listen, she noted many parents plan to keep their children home that day and “could make their voices heard at the next round of school board elections.”
“I believe partisan use of taxpayer dollars and a captive audience of children will hurt local support for schools and make it harder to pass bond issues in the future,” Kern said. “To maintain their credibility, our local schools simply should not participate in this event.
“The purpose of our government schools in a constitutional republic is not to force a captive audience to establish a bond with the president. Such an action would be appropriate for Cuba but not the United States of America.” |
