President Obama intends to address schoolchildren across the nation next week about the importance of taking responsibility for success in their studies. But in these polarized times, the first-ever talk has quickly prompted accusations that the White House is using taxpayer money to politically indoctrinate children.
Obama will travel to Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. on Sept. 8 and deliver an address that will be aired on C-Span and the White House web site, whitehouse.gov. The White House says the message is intended to stimulate a discussion about persisting and succeeding in school. In a recent letter to school principals, Education Secretary Arne Duncan provided more details, stating, "The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens."
Sounds pretty innocuous. But the Education Department's decision to distribute lesson plans to accompany the address and essentially require students to watch the speech is sparking an outcry from commentators and officials on the political right, who accuse the president of staging a political rally disguised as a civics lesson.
Particularly out front is Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, who has condemned the administration for using taxpayer money to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."
"As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology," Greer said in a statement. "The idea that schoolchildren across our nation will be forced to watch the president justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other president, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power."
Greer said the format doesn't promote healthy debate and could prompt dissenting students to be ostracized by their classmates and teachers.
What is prompting such fierce pushback? A pre-kindergarden-grade 6 lesson plan from the Education Department suggests teachers promote discussion in their classrooms about key points, such as citizenship, personal responsibility and civic duty. Other ideas include having students write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president; write about their goals in poems, songs or personal essays, and participate in schoolwide incentive programs or contests for students who achieve their goals.
The grade 7-12 lesson plan can be found here.
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