Parent's Letter Regarding Presidential Address
Posted: September 03, 2009
Dear Parents,
President Barack Obama has announced he will give a special “back to school” message to children across America September 8, 2009.
Like many of you, I had several questions about the speech and the suggested lesson plans included from the US Department of Education. Earlier this week, I sent an official letter to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan requesting additional information to guide Idaho schools in deciding whether to air this speech. As a result, the US Department of Education released more detailed information to assist local school boards and administrators in making this decision.
I believe this will be a unique opportunity for all Idaho students to hear from our country's highest elected official. Still, it remains a local decision as to whether a school will air the President's speech and/or utilize the suggested lesson plans in the classroom. Schools may also choose to show the speech at a more convenient time, as it will be available online.
As with all matters of education, whether your child watches the broadcast is ultimately up to you. As a parent, you play a critical role in your child's education, and you have the opportunity to ask questions and receive information about what your child is learning in school. I encourage you to talk to your school and find out if the speech will be aired.
If schools choose to air the speech, I’ve encouraged them to invite parents into the school to view this broadcast with their children. According to the information we have received, the speech is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes, and the President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. The broadcast will also be available online to watch at anytime if you would like to watch it with your child at a later time: http://www.whitehouse.gov.
If you’d rather your child do something else during the time the speech is aired, you can ask your child’s teacher for a comparable assignment.
If you have further questions, please visit our web site at www.sde.idaho.gov to read the information released from the US Department of Education, including the lesson plans. If you have questions on how this event will be handled in your child’s classroom, please contact your local school district.
We will keep you updated as we receive further information from the US Department of Education.
Thank you,
Tom Luna
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
President Barack Obama to Make Historic Speech to America's Students C-SPAN and White House Web Site to Broadcast Speech Live Speech Scheduled One Hour Earlier to 12:00 noon Eastern Time
At 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to the students of America. (Please note that this is a change from the originally scheduled time.) During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation's children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. The U.S. Department of Education encourages students of all ages, teachers, and administrators to participate in this historic moment by watching the president deliver the address, which will be broadcast live on the White House Web site (www.whitehouse.gov/live/) and on C-SPAN at 12:00 p.m., ET. We also encourage educators to use this moment to help students get focused and inspired to begin the new academic year. The Department of Education offers educators a menu of classroom activities—created by its teachers-in-residence, the Teaching Ambassador Fellows—to help engage students in the address and stimulate classroom discussions about the importance of education.
To learn more, please see the following:
To further encourage student engagement, the U.S. Department of Education is launching the "I Am What I Learn" video contest. On September 8, we will ask students to respond to the president's challenge by creating videos, up to two minutes in length, describing the steps they will take to improve their education and the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams.
Please encourage all students age 13 and older to create and upload their videos to YouTube by October 8. Submissions can be in the form of video blogs, public service announcements (PSAs), music videos, or documentaries. Students are encouraged to have fun and be creative with this project! The general public will then vote on their favorites to determine the top 20 finalists. These 20 videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges, including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The panel will choose three winners, each of whom will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Starting this Friday, you can visit www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn/ to find out more.
By: Idaho State Department of Education