Utah group criticizes schools for opt-out forms for Obama’s school speech

[helderheid]

By Lisa Schencker
The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Sep 14, 2010 06:35PM
Updated 7 Minutes Ago

A Utah progressive group is saying it was inappropriate for some schools to send letters and opt-out forms home to parents before President Barack Obama’s speech to school kids Tuesday.

Controversy over Obama’s speech was subdued in Utah this year compared with last, but some districts still sent home letters and/or opt-out forms to parents ahead of time. Michael Picardi, co-founder of the Coalition of Utah Progressives, said schools shouldn’t treat a presidential speech to kids as something that might be objectionable. A number of parents also echoed his concerns Tuesday.

“I have a real problem with people not wanting their children to see the president of the United States give them a pep talk,” Picardi said. “We really feel as a coalition this is unacceptable in a country that preaches freedom and understanding.”

Officials from some Utah school districts, however, said they sent letters to be transparent with parents, especially after the outcry before last year’s speech. Some conservatives worried last year that Obama’s speech would be political, though it turned out to be little more than a talk about working hard and staying in school. This year’s speech contained a similar message.


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http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50284081-76/speech-parents-district-obama.html.csp?page=1

[helderheid]

1. I was interviewed for this article. :)

[helderheid]

2. comment

"I find it highly interesting that the government funded school system in Utah sends an opt out waiver to allow parents to avoid a speech by the highest elected official in the nation, citing a rule for parents if they consider an activity at school an "an infringement upon a conscience or the exercise of religious freedom...", and also encourages Seminary."

[blondeatlast]

3. My son's school district got an earful from me today (I'm always polite, btw--but

my message gets across). In our case, I had to opt my son IN. :mad:

Good for you--I don't care what president is speaking--if it concerns education, students should watch.

[red red red]

4. Stupid people...

but, in truth, I would not let my child listen to a school speech by Palin or Beck! However, they could never be inspiring like our President - after all, he is our President.

[MadHound]

5. WooHoo, school's get to be a political ping pong ball, again

Last year when schools were going to show the president's speech without sending home consent forms, conservative groups across the country immediately besieged their local school districts with complaints, vileness and threats unless those school districts provided some sort of opt out option. Yet no progressives stepped forward to engage on the side of sanity.

Now the schools are sending out letters this year, and a progressive group is complaining. Don't get me wrong, but where was this group last year? Furthermore, and most importantly, can both sides stop using the school system as the ping pong ball to get knocked around the ideological table? Seriously, schools have enough problems to worry about without having to be the proxy battleground for political conflicts.

[Hello_Kitty]

6. Utah has the BEST liberals!

They may not be many in number but they are stalwart.

[helderheid]

7. Thank you!

:hi:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. By what they're up against, they HAVE to.

:scared:

[RamboLiberal]

9. Up in Repuke land Mars PA a resident blasted the school board

They voted not to show Obama's speech.

A resident took the Mars Area school board to task Tuesday night for not showing President Barack Obama's address to students.

The school board had decided at its Sept. 7 meeting not to allow teachers to show the address live because it was not available for review at that time. The board made the same decision, for the same reason, last year.

But Kate Lennen told board members that they do not require that other speakers give advance copies of their speeches.

"You don't know what I am going to say tonight but, under the laws of our country, I, an ordinary citizen, have the freedom and right to say whatever I like," she said. "But this board has decided they are justified in censoring the message of the President of the United States."

Ms. Lennen said the board's rationale that Mr. Obama's 23-minute address would be disruptive to the school day was "laughable," noting that there was a pep rally last week to support the athletic teams and an assembly today to kick off the magazine sale fundraiser at the middle school.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10258/1087666-100.stm#ixzz0zc6O2YPa

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. Sooner or later -- 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, whenever -- a Republican is going to be President again.

Let's see if they keep on sending consent forms THEN.

I say they won't. With a perfectly straight face. And it'll be considered a-OK, no hypocrisy at all, nosiree. IOKIYAR. You read it here first.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. Are you kidding?

Listening to a Repig president will be mandatory in their world.

[BeeBee]

12. Sometimes I wonder how I made it out of there alive...

at least my old school district (Davis) didn't send out the stupid notifications.

[helderheid]

13. I'm lobbying my husband to move us out of here. His job is based in Portland, OR

I worry about my kids, especially my daughter.

[BeeBee]

14. Good luck.....

Moving out of Utah is the best thing I ever did (although I miss my brother and sister and nieces and nephews who still live there). Living in Utah gives you such a homogenized view of the world. It was nice moving around to different parts of the country getting different points of view.