Some parents object: Obama speech to students gets mixed reception in area

President Barack Obama broadcast a speech to schools around the nation Tuesday morning, but because of a controversy over the content of his message, not all local students got to hear it.

Some parents, concerned that the president would use the opportunity to instill his political agenda in school children, threatened to keep their children out of local schools Tuesday if the speech was broadcast live.

“We had some parents who called and said they wouldn’t send their kids to school if we showed the speech,” said Jake Dingman, superintendent of Oakesdale schools. Some classes at Oakesdale heard the address.

School officials around Whitman County reported receiving similar calls.

To avoid those absences, administrators at Colfax, Palouse and St. John decided to preview the speech and then give individual teachers the option to show it to their classes.

“We will preview it like we would preview anything we would show,” said Colfax superintendent Michael Morgan.

Morgan said the district plans to send notification letters home to parents if it decides to show the speech.

Morgan said he, and both the elementary and high school offices, received “several calls” from parents who were concerned about letting their children hear the president speak.

“I think there was a lot of media hype, especially on talk radio, that blew this speech up,” said Gary Wargo, superintendent at LaCrosse.

An accompanying lesson plan instructed students to write letters to themselves on how they could help the president. That was later changed to having students write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their own goals for education.

Wargo said two parents asked their children not be allowed to watch Obama’s speech, while others asked that their children view it.

“I watched it, and there really wasn’t anything in it that we haven’t been saying every day,” said Wayne Massie, superintendent at Tekoa. “Stay in school and work hard. I think the message was very pro-education. And that’s the business we’re in.”

Massie said he heard from one parent who objected about the speech being aired there.

The speech spurred national controversy when conservative pundits decried it as an attempt by Obama to push progressive ideals into American schools.

In his speech, Obama told students to work hard and take personal responsibility in their education so they can strengthen the nation’s future. He told schoolchildren he “expects great things from each of you.”

“It’s ridiculous,” said Rosalia Principal Darrell Kuhn. “He’s the president of the United States; the most powerful man in the world. What did they think he was going to say?”

Advanced text of Obama’s speech was released on the White House web site Monday.

High school students at Colton, LaCrosse, Oakesdale and Tekoa had the option of watching Obama’s speech live or taking a study hall for the period. The speech was recorded and teachers in classes where it was not shown live will have the option of showing it later.

Pullman recorded the speech, and teachers will be allowed to show it as it suits their lesson plans.

Rosalia students were set to watch a recorded version of the speech Wednesday morning. Principal Kuhn said he was not sure if the school’s internet connection would handle a live broadcast of the speech.

Endicott principal Suzanne Schmick decided not to air the speech because of concerned calls from parents.

Schmick said because Endicott only schools elementary and middle school students, she felt it best to let her students watch the speech at home at the discretion of their parents.