Monday, September 7, 2009
"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."
- President Barack Obama, September 8th, 2009
[Update]
Thanks to all of you for the support!
KXAN News, in Austin, just came to do an interview and watched the (excellent) speech with me. They picked up the story here, in DKos! The reporters could only get a "no comment" from the district. The interviewer asked why I posted the letter on this site, and I remarked "Because....I wanted to get perspective and feedback from an intelligent group of people, many of whom are going through the very same thing in their own districts!"
KLBJ AM, Austin, also saw the story here and discussed the mandatory Pep Rally issue vs. the importance the speech. Nervously, I called into the show to counter one of the hypocritical comments a caller made. I got a bit ruffled and defensive, I think, but it's hard not to do when the entire subject is completely ridiculous (blocking kids from viewing the speech). after I'd made the comment that regardless of who the President was (McCain, Clinton, Palin even), I'd still want my kids to listen to an inspirational speech on Education. One of the hosts - very polite - said "no you wouldn't" (want them addressing your kids). I said "Yes, I would because I'm an intelligent adult who would understand that this speech isn't policy-based - it's purely an inspirational talk to kids about hard work and staying in school."
I haven't received a response from the District Admin, and I don't expect to. At the very least, they'll temporarily pay attention when they see the news tonight. Sadly, I doubt anything changes.
Thankfully, my kids get their best education at home.
Respected DSISD School Board Members and Administrators,
Regarding the President’s historic Education speech scheduled for tomorrow, September 8th, I’m requesting it be widely aired at all DSISD campuses at 11:00 a.m., in the Cafeteria and/or Gymnasium. If this is logistically impossible, I propose that 30 minutes are budgeted beginning at 3:35 p.m. tomorrow, to watch the recorded speech in the Cafeteria and/or Gym.
Working in the education industry for twenty years, I am familiar with the immense pressure on teachers to have adequate class time to prepare kids to learn the standards and to pass and exceed in TAKS testing.
Relevant to the President’s impending speech, the DSISD web site states:
"Due to the belief that our limited time with students must be focused on our curriculum and instruction, teachers will not be required to show the address."
Please explain to me as a parent of two DSISD students, how this ‘belief’ is reconciled with the one that for every ‘home’ football game, it is expected of all high school students and teachers that they participate in a 30 minute Pep Rally, following a deliberately shortened school day? In fact, each high school class is truncated by five minutes (with the exception of fourth period), to create time before the end of the school day, for an event serving to ‘fire up’ the team and fans, pre-game.
My high school student might have three tests to study for the next school day while being thoroughly uninterested in the Pep Rally, yet her presence is required in the Gym; she cannot go to the library to study, nor can she stay in her designated classroom. She can’t sit outside, go to Pappa Joe’s, or come home early.
Assuming there are five home football games this season, my student will participate in 150 minutes of Pep Rally time, inconsequential to her education and preparation for TAKS, graduation, and college. Rather, it could be argued that those 150 minutes eclipsed by Pep Rallies, are potentially detrimental to her academic performance according to DSISD’s belief that "limited time with students must be focused on our curriculum and instruction."
The President plans to respectfully address the nation’s school-aged kids – our future leaders – impressing upon them the importance of staying in school and personal goal-setting as it relates to their future success; however, somehow, class time is too limited to allow for the viewing of an educational message – in the context of school - delivered by an academic role-model who achieved and met his own expansive goals, graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Law School?
We know how high the educational stakes are in this country. We’re at a critical point, preparing our kids to compete in a fast-changing, high-tech, complex global economy. A good Education is not just important - it’s URGENT. A good Education gives each child solid ground on which to stand for success in life. A good Education is an inalienable right of every child. We know all of this, as parents and educators...
But ultimately, each student decides on their own how high a priority Education will be for them.
Many of us recall a defining moment in our own education, in which a teacher made the simplest, positive comment that we carried forward; those words became part of who we are today. Their encouraging words instilled a sense of pride and personal responsibility that are woven into – whether or not we are conscious of it – the fabric of our own achievement.
President Obama’s historic Address tomorrow is a clarion call that can have a long-lasting, positive impact on our students, for the rest of their lives.
Tomorrow marks the third time in history that a sitting U.S. President has delivered a speech on Education aimed at students. G.W. Bush Senior delivered a speech in 1991 on the importance of Education and hard work. He began his speech by saying he was "addressing millions of school kids in classrooms across the country." Ronald Reagan took questions from high school students at the White House in 1986, and the question-and-answer session was broadcast nationally. Reagan urged the students to stay in school and "say no to drugs," but he also discussed overt political matters, such as national defense funding, nuclear disarmament and -- in surprising policy detail -- taxes.
Regarding the speech tomorrow, the question and answer below, is from the U.S. Department of Education’s web site:
Q: What is the speech about?
A: The goal of the speech and classroom activities is to challenge students to set goals, work hard and stay in school. This isn't a policy speech.
I appreciate the position of DSISD to "protect parents' rights."
Relative to my rights, please explain how it’s okay to pull my junior from 15 minutes of limited class instruction time for the explicitly commercial purpose of selling her a Herff Jones Class Ring, which has no correlation to advancing her academic progress; while, it’s not okay to pull her from class for a 15-20 minute Presidential Address on Education?
Again, referencing the statement on the DSISD site about lack of "logistics of making a webcast available during that time of the school day," it may be pointed out that:
• Many classrooms in the high school are now equipped with a projector for use with a teacher’s computer. My student’s teachers have already, this school year, implemented use of projectors for Power Points, videos, note taking, and to show how to navigate the new district web site and individual teacher pages.
• Classes equipped with projectors can easily be used to display a webcast of the President’s Tuesday speech, with a single computer.
• All school libraries have computers available for student/teacher use and the high school has a flat-screen television that has been used for watching and teaching current events.
• Tech labs across all schools have multiple computers.
• Foreign Language teachers generally keep televisions in their room.
• Our high school cafeteria recently hosted the Class Ring sales event, complete with Power Point presentation, for the junior class.
• The Gymnasium has room for all students and plays host to Pep Rallies, complete with A/V presentation capability.
• Students could watch the speech on their iPods/Phones, sharing the screen with multiple friends.
If it’s determined that none of the above mentioned options would allow for viewing of the President’s speech live, I propose scheduling an "Educational Pep Rally" for the end of the day Tuesday (using the established Pep Rally format), in which the recording of the speech is shown in the "A" Gym.
Tomorrow’s milestone Address is an opportunity for all grade levels to engage in meaningful dialogue, reflect on their personal commitment to Education, and to explore how their base of learned knowledge relates to the ongoing freedoms of this country and its relationship with the rest of the world. Moreover, it provides a forum for every student to exercise their First Amendment Right: Freedom of Speech.
As a district with academic standards that are constantly rising, it is DSISD’s responsibility to include and promote the standard that time spent watching the President talk about the importance of their Education is equal in importance to their time spent in a football pre-game rally or commercial class ring sales pitch.
I look forward to hearing your decision.
Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
Carol
DSISD Parent
President Barack Obama’s September 8th speech:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
U.S. Department of Education web site: http://www.ed.gov/...