Responding to a backlash from parents, Oxford Community Schools chose not to show President Barack Obama’s live back-to-school address to America’s K-12 students during the district’s first day of classes Tuesday.
However, the district will be making copies of Obama’s speech available to all Oxford students for viewing beginning Sept. 9.
‘We received numerous e-mails and phone calls from parents concerned about showing this,? said Superintendent Dr. William Skilling, noting many indicated ‘if we were (going to air it), they weren’t going to send their students to school that day.?
‘We didn’t like the idea of a lot of kids not being in school on the first day of school,? he explained.
According to the U.S. Department of Education website, Obama’s speech was designed to ‘challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.? The address was aired live on the White House website and on C-SPAN.
Because schools were not required to show the speech to students, some districts opted not to air it.
Originally, the district decided not to air the speech at any of its five elementary schools or at the middle school. The address was to be taped and made available for high school students to view as an optional activity during all three lunch hours Sept. 9.
‘Given the number of complaints we received and talking about it amongst ourselves, we thought the first day of school needs to be a day of kids and parents celebrating going back to school,? Skilling said. ‘It should be something that’s looked forward to with anticipation.?
In order to help diffuse some of the controversy and speculation surrounding Obama’s speech, the White House posted the speech to its website on Labor Day. The text can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks.
Skilling said this move gave apprehensive parents the opportunity to view the speech first and helped ease concerns that no one knew exactly what Obama was going to say to the kids.
‘It really boils down to basically one idea and that is the uncomfortableness of not knowing what the full text of the message is going to be,? he said, noting that last week he tried to obtain a copy of the speech prior to the president’s address, but was unsuccessful.
In light of the speech’s early release and parents having the opportunity to review it, the district changed its stance and decided that Obama’s message will be made available to K-8 students beginning Sept. 9.
Skilling said Assistant Supt. Jim Schwarz is meeting with the elementary principals to coordinate its showing to grades K-5.
Oxford Middle School Principal Ken Weaver will decide when and how it’s showed to grades 6-8.
In both cases, parents will be notified ahead of time, so those who still don’t want their children to view the speech can opt to have them excused from the presentation.
Links to text and video versions of Obama’s speech are currently available at www.oxfordschools.org.
Skilling wanted to make it clear that this was not a political decision on his or the district’s part. In fact, he personally took the position that Obama’s speech wouldn’t deviate from its focus on education and student achievement.
‘I’m confident that he’ll stick to his message,? he said, prior to the speech. ‘I have no reason to believe he’ll do otherwise.?
After reading the speech, Skilling wrote in a letter to parents, ‘I am confident you will agree his speech has a good message for our students.?
Skilling admitted this whole thing caught him by surprise.
‘I didn’t even know the president was going to speak because we hadn’t received any notification,? he said. ‘Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t know anything about it until I started getting e-mails from concerned parents.?
One of those e-mails was from Oxford parent Adam Stewart, who has a kindergartner and second-grader attending Daniel Axford Elementary and a fourth-grader at Oxford Elementary.
Stewart’s problem wasn’t so much with the speech or Obama as it was with the recommended discussion questions and classroom activities that went along with it. These questions and activities, suggested by the U.S. Department of Education, were optional, not mandatory.
‘I think if any president wants to address the school children of the country ? give them a rah-rah speech, stay in school, work hard ? that’s fine,? he said. ‘But when they start to direct the kids on how to think, how to become involved, that’s more of a responsibility for the parents than it is for the politicians.?
Stewart was concerned about the possibility of teachers inserting their own political viewpoints into the speech-related activities.
‘Children are very vulnerable,? he explained. ‘Children are constantly told to listen to your teacher, do what your teacher tells you. The teacher can direct nuances during any conversation.?
‘It’s very important that we as parents know in advance what the curriculum is, what’s going to be covered, because then it’s our responsibility to go to the school, go to the teacher and say, ‘Wait a minute, that’s not what I want my child taught. You need to come back to the middle or cover the facts and not throw your editorial spin into it.??
Stewart was fine with the district’s original decision to not air the speech for K-8 students, but make it available to OHS students as a voluntary activity on their own time.
‘By the time you’re in high school, you pretty much know where you stand on certain things and you can actually enter a dialogue with your parents about that,? he said.
Skilling said he received some complaints, ‘but not very many,? from people upset over the district’s decision to not show Obama’s speech live to every student.
The Leader received an e-mail from an Oxford teacher who was quite livid over the district’s decision not to allow students to watch the speech live.
‘I can’t believe this is happening. I am furious,? wrote the teacher, who asked not to be identified. ‘It feels racially and politically motivated based on some extreme ideas voiced in the media. I am disappointed that some have such disrespect for our own president.
‘What harm is there for children to see a pep talk on the importance of a good education? I could use the help in motivating these kids, especially when so many are aware of the stress their parents are feeling these days.?
This teacher doesn’t believe the decision was in line with everything else the district’s trying to accomplish.
‘I am told by Dr. Skilling that children need to be global problem-solvers and critical thinkers. That cannot be done without being rational,? the educator wrote. ‘I do not believe that an address to school children by our duly elected president will be harmful for them. On the contrary, it is beneficial because it is a springboard for discussion between students and teachers, and students and their parents. This is a disservice to our children in my opinion.?
Despite the brouhaha over the speech, Skilling is pleased the president’s taking such an interest in education.
‘I’m really happy to see the president wants to encourage kids to be in school and do their best,? he said. ‘I think it’s incumbent upon all presidents, regardless of political affiliation, to encourage young people to work hard, do their best in school and stay in school. I think it’s a good message coming from a president.?
‘I hope that the president continues to want to do this in the future. I think it would be a good annual tradition . . . I hope it doesn’t stop because of this snafu this time,? the superintendent added.
Skilling suggested that next time the White House release the speech in advance, so parents can preview it and all this controversy can be avoided.
He also said it would be a good idea to videotape the speech ahead of time and distribute it to schools, so they can show it at their convenience. ‘Schools can incorporate it at a time that works for them,? he said.