President Barack Obama gives his second annual back-to-school speech at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pa, Sept. 14. (Photo credit: WhiteHouse.gov)

Two school board members object
to students watching Obama speech
By Kevin Kelley
Westlake
WEB POSTED 3PM Sept. 22, 2010

President Barack Obama’s back-to-school address to the nation’s students is the latest issue to divide the members of the Westlake Board of Education.

The president delivered remarks to the nation’s students from a Philadelphia middle school Sept. 14.

School board Vice President Tim Sullivan made a formal motion at the Sept. 13 meeting that the speech not be shown to the district’s students. Nate Cross seconded the motion. The motion failed, 3-2, with Sullivan and Cross voting for the motion.

“A 15-minute speech from the president of the United States is inherently political,” Sullivan told West Life. “Why do we want to introduce partisan politics into our children’s classrooms?”

Sullivan told West Life he had not seen the speech or read a transcript of it.

Sullivan, a Republican, said he would also object to students viewing a speech by a Republican president.

When the president gave a back-to-school address a year ago, the district archived it but did not have students watch it live, according to Superintendent Dan Keenan.

What’s different between this year and last?

Keenan said the White House did a better job this year of informing educators in advance about the address and stating that its content would not be political in nature.

Last year, some conservatives across the nation raised objections to having Obama address students in public schools. Keenan said he received over 100 calls or e-mails regarding the controversy a year ago but only one this year.

The district’s schools sent home letters informing parents of the speech. Only one parent had his student opt out of watching Obama, Keenan said.

At the school board meeting, Sullivan noted he spent about an hour in a phone conversation expressing his objections to Keenan.

“I think showing this speech just simply sends a message that the education – the strong education of our students – is not a significant enough priority and that we have other priorities that we will put in place of that,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the speech would be divisive. He said the speech was an instance of adults seeking to advance their partisan political agendas.

“And they are willing to hurt the education of our students,” Sullivan said. “And they are willing to damage the harmony of our school district.”

Sullivan also argued that having students watch the speech during the school day took away from curriculum time.

The district’s performance index on the state report card dropped between 2009 and 2010, Sullivan noted.

Keenan responded that the district’s performance index last year was the second highest ever — 106.2, down from 106.3 the previous year.

“It just so happens last year was our highest,” the superintendent said. “And we were one decimal point below.”

Cross said he failed to see how the president’s speech fits into with the district’s mission. He also said any student who opts out may be made to feel like a pariah. Cross said the students would become political pawns and be unable to differentiate between the president’s civic role and that of party leader.

Board member Andrea Rocco said the decision on the speech was best decided by the administration, whom she trusted, and not the school board. She said the arguments against students watching didn’t make much sense.

“It’s kind of like the pot calling the kettle black,” she said. Sullivan and Cross, she said, have been quite political, she said.

Tom Mays said he agreed it’s not right to put a political agenda over the education of the district’s students.

“I’m not sure the K through 6 students is the target voting audience for anyone trying to do that,” Mays said.

The White House released the president’s remark’s the day before the speech to permit educators to review it.

“Your future is in your hands,” the president said in his remarks. “Your life is what you make of it. And nothing — absolutely nothing — is beyond your reach. So long as you’re willing to dream big. So long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay focused on your education.”

On the Web:

• Westlake City Schools
• The White House
• Text of President Obama's Sept. 14, 2010 back-to-school speech
• Video of President Obama's Sept. 14, 2010 back-to-school speech