Published: September 04, 2009 03:15 pm      

Schools: Obama address optional

In part because of questions about the full content of President Barack Obama’s nationwide broadcast on the Internet and C-SPAN to students at 11 a.m. Tuesday on the importance of education, some Johnson County school districts have decided to make viewing optional for students or to tape the presentation for later viewing.

Cleburne ISD has plans to record the broadcast and post it as a link on the Cleburne ISD Web site.

“Due to bandwidth concerns with the district Internet connection and in the interest of preserving instructional time, Cleburne ISD will not be broadcasting President Barack Obama’s address to students Tuesday morning,” said CISD spokeswoman Lisa Magers. “Cleburne ISD will record the address and also provide a link on its Web site. The district will also make available a DVD copy of the address for home viewing, which can be checked out by parents without Internet access.

“In a letter sent home with students on Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Ronny Beard encouraged parents to view the event with their children at their own convenience. Parents were also informed that teachers wishing students to view the president’s message in class as part of the curriculum must first obtain parental permission.”

Rio Vista is taking a similar approach.

“I think it’s a historic event, but there isn’t much lead time on it,” said Rio Vista interim Superintendent Steve Madson said. “And because of a bandwidth issue, our system may have a hard time streaming it live. We’re not going to prevent our teachers from streaming it, but our stance is we’re not going to allow it to disrupt our educational day. If teachers can fit it into the curriculum, they’re welcome to do that. We’re not saying they can’t show it, but we’re not requiring it.”

Students who choose not to watch will be offered alternative assignments, Madson said.

At Godley, a letter was being prepared to be sent to parents on Thursday.

“Parents will be able to access our Web site when the students get home, and they will be able to view the president’s address with their children,” a Godley spokesperson said. “It will be the same day as the presentation but after school hours.”

Some Joshua students may see the broadcast live.

“Right now, it’s at the discretion of the campus principals,” said JISD spokeswoman Dortha Dickerson. “If the parent wants the child to have another assignment, the parent can contact the principal or teacher by e-mail or phone.”

According to the Alvarado ISD Web site, “Because some people feel that this is a controversial event in that the full content of the address is unknown and an intrusion into their children’s lives, Alvarado ISD parents may choose to opt out their child from the broadcast. Parents are also welcome to attend their child’s class to watch the assembly or to view a recorded version with their child on the district’s Web site after the address.

“The broadcast is scheduled for 11 a.m., but several of the campuses will record the address and view it at a more convenient time. Alvarado ISD Superintendent Chester Juroska sent a letter home to parents Wednesday.”

At Grandview, Superintendent Keith Scharnhorst said, “We won’t deny anyone access to it, and we won’t require it. We will allow some of our high school classes, mainly history, to watch it Tuesday. We’ll also put it on our Web site. We have an activity period in the morning, so the students will be able to watch it on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning if they wish. Because of time, we’ll do it a little differently at different campuses. At the intermediate school, we may show it after school.”

Keene Superintendent Kevin Sellers said, “We don’t want to deny any student access to it. If a social studies teacher wants to stream it, that’s fine. But we’re sending notes to parents [Friday], giving them to opportunity to say if they don’t want their children to see the address. If they don’t, we’ll have alternative curriculum for those students. We will have DVDs of the address available in the library for students to check out like they would a library book, if their parent allows them to check it out.”

Burleson ISD had not made a decision on the Obama presentation as of Thursday.

This will be the first time a U.S. president has spoken directly to students about achieving in school, according to a letter from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent to school principals nationwide and posted on the U.S. Department of Education Web site.

According to Texas Education Agency, viewing is up to individual school districts and individual campuses.

“We have nothing to do with it,” said TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson.

Cleburne’s Beard was philosophical.

“I guess it’s a sign of the times that we live in a society that is suspicious even of the president of the United States,” he said. “But at the same time, this is a first. No other president has asked to address students without going through parents or allowing parents to view the content. I guess people are just suspicious.”

He said he hopes the Obama presentation doesn’t become a political football.

“I think some people are just confused about why the president would want to address students,” Beard said. “I don’t have anything against it at all, but I know people who do. I think his message is to encourage students to stay in school. I think he’s saying, ‘Look, I’m a minority, and I come from a low socio-economic background, and I’m president. You can do it, too.’ I think that’s a message we all should share.”