Soaps.com - MESSAGE BOARDS

the only time Pres Bush caught he!! for reading to students.......was when planes flown by terrorists were crashing into the world trade center....and it was whispered in his ear, what had happened......there was no uproar prior to his reading to the class.......no parent opposition.,...from either party.........that he would dare speak to the schools or read to them.....He wants to make a speech....... essentially giving a pep talk to our children....a pep talk that may give some very at risk children hope and strength to continue on with their education......he has the right to do that,....and he has the right to say what he feels is important....under the freedom of speech. ..........which by the way .....his speeches are not written by him....but he does have the authority and final say in deciding what he will say....IMO there is a movement to set this President up to fail......there is no, ...lets wait and see what he does,...lets give him the benefit of the doubt.....and really fromt the people that feel this way...the people that feel they have to knock him back down to the ground, ...before hes even standing all the way up......these people that do that, if they have children.......should really look at what they are teaching their children....I believe that may be called anarchy....and basically teaches the youth....not to trust ....not to believe....not to wait before they act....just to be reactionary...and that if you dont like your boss...that you have known for 10 mins....you should tell them they are never going to make it.....that they have no clue as to what they are doing....that your old boss ( who was basically fired for not being effective and for putting you in debt) was sooooooo much better.....and if he was still here you wouldnt have these issues.....wake up everyone...Obama is the Pres. let him do what he needs to do....speaking to students...reading a book to them....its called encouragement....how can you possibly say thats bad?

On Tuesday morning, President Barack Obama plans to give a nationally televised speech directed to school children. He wants to talk about the importance of working hard and staying in school. It's a kind of presidential pep talk for kids.

Bitter partisans have responded with loud objections. What one local school administrator described as "a small but vocal minority" — have objected.

These fanatics have characterized the president's anticipated remarks as "propaganda." They have asked that the speech not be shown in the schools. Missouri's Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder took time out from planning for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race to pander to them, calling Mr. Obama's plans "a clear infringement on the rights of our students and those of Missouri parents." WTH is the problem with these nuts?

Mr. Obama is not the first such presidential infringer. President Ronald Reagan invited a group of high school students to the White House in 1986. He talked to them about world and military affairs, his tax program and the importance of education. The proceedings were broadcast live on radio and television to high school students nationally. No one seems to have objected. So why is it only the Conservatives who don't want their children to know what is going on in the world? Liberals have had no problem at all with this being done by the Republican party! Why is that you think? Imo it is called an open mind and a willingness to even consider crossing a party line to improve the education of our children which by the way is pathetic compared to many other countries. We are so far behind in education that we will never catch up.

President George H. W. Bush gave a noontime address in 1989, televised from the White House Library. He encouraged youngsters, gathered and watching from schools nationally, to stay away from drugs. (When Mr. Bush did a similar telecast in 1991, this time from a classroom, the tax payers paid $26,750 for the speech not counting the cost of all the secret service and transpotation. Once again not one Liberal had one of these hissy fits and no one protested by refusing to send their child to school that day. Parents of both parties where honored for their child to have a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the most important man in our country take time for them and only them. Once again what's up Conservatives?

This time around, many school districts around the country essentially will punt on the presidential speech. Teachers have the option to show the speech, but it is doubtful that many will want to deal with complaints from the MANY protesting parents. This is such a good lesson to teach your kids. You know, It goes something like this I am sure... "since that president is not the one mommy and daddy wanted for president you MUST not even listen to a word he says. You can stay home and protest and boycott shcool because we don't want you to be part of this country. Stay at home and believe only what we tell you and dare not form a mind of your own."

However many students end up watching the broadcast, Mr. Obama's talk is a teachable moment, not so much for what he has to say, but as a study in citizenship. An enterprising high school civics teacher could build a lesson around this question: What is the state of our civil society when the innocuous matter of a presidential speech geared toward a goal we all should embrace — getting a good education — would evoke such an empty and embarrassing outcry of nastiness and disrespect from grown-ups? What are we teaching our children????

I've heard part of the problem is when in his speech certain celebs will pledge different things and one pledges to serve Obama. All I have to say to that is I serve one being and if in serving him I inturn serve our pres. so be it. I've already discussed it with my kids and Im not to worried, I have no problem with him telling my kids to stay in school but I do have a problem if political crap is thrown in! As if Kennedys Funeral wasn't bad enough with political stuff thrown in (and said by children no less!)!
My children will attend school and if they want to listen to him so be it they are smart enough to judge for themselves!!
Nothing can be as bad (I hope) when I was in school(and im sure many othrs on here were too) were watching in school as the space shuttle challenger exploded back in 86 I think( I remember it was on Punky Brewster after(loved that show) I also remember other presidents talking to us and since I now have no clue what they talked about my kids will do jst fine!!

I thought I heard that everyone would have access to the speech today and can read it over the internet. Has anyone found that yet, or was I just dreaming?

From Ed.Gov:


Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009


The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.


This is a good speech and I will have my kids see it. My school district will not be showing it, but I will be recording it.

The message here is not political. But the supposed prequel is. Not sure if that celebrity pledge taping will be aired first..but that was extremely political and I believe that is one thing that had people concerned.

I have been wanting to give my opinion on this for sometime!

Obama is just trying to tell kids to stay in school and do good in school if you want a nice future. I do not see what the problem is? What is wrong with telling kids to be responsible and to take advantage of getting a good education? Some schools have decided not to show the speech until the school board has viewed the tape. Why? What are they afraid of? Kids can't form their own opinions?

I saw the speech that Rei posted and it's a great speech. if a celebrity said they would serve obama i really don't see the big deal. if people don't care for that choice of words then they can talk to their kids...it's pretty trivial if you ask me..we are asked to "serve" our country in the military. the speech was very good in my opinion. i can not even think up a reason to dislike it.

I believe a debate and a discussion will ensue anyway.

The controversy was quite unexpected! So "the speech" itself will be viewed by more children and adults than originally expected. This speech will have kids wondering what all the controversary was about. We do have internet now. Many will read or hear the president's speech. Determine the message was about staying in school and working hard and many students will totally understand that someone has been "put down" for no reason and come to their own conclusion.

Children and teenagers are much more intelligent than we give them credit for.

I really believe that at the end of the day intellect will win this one!

Have a great Labor Day all!

First let me start by saying there is not an actual Pledge to the President similar to the Pledge of Alligience.

If you don't want your kids to see celebrity endorsements, then don't let them watch commercials or any sort of billboard adverts. I think what the campaign was trying to invoke was community....similar to "win one for the gipper"

anyway....my brother (who is a teacher) has a very different viewpoint on this subject. He says that the parents who are all up in arms and discussing it are the parents who are generally raising their kids well. They tell their children all of the things that the President is planning on telling them in his speech. But many MANY children do not hear this message once let alone on a continuous basis. My brother says that the president is doing this because it has to be done. Children have to learn to believe in themselves because many parents don't do that job.

I thought that was an interesting viewpoint.