Parents and lawmakers speak out against Obama's speech to students

[UGAalum94]

My guess is that the school informed parents that President Bush would be visiting. I would have expected they inform parents more to explain the heightened security at the school because parents might have gotten really worried in a post-Columbine world when they saw the school blocked off, etc.

Obama and Mrs. Obama have both made similar trips to schools in DC, I think. It may have been only Mrs. Obama. I think Presidents visiting schools is actually pretty common, but a TV broadcast to every school hasn't ever happened while anyone in school now was in school.

The cafeterias of the schools I've been in in recent memory wouldn't be conducive to having the kids watch the speech there, but they are all pretty big schools. I would even say that many high schools can't get the entire student body in the auditorium at the same time.

I also doubt that, if you really want the kids to watch, that putting them all together in a large room and then showing the speech is the way to do it. It might work someplace where the majority of kids love Obama and there's positive peer pressure to be quiet and listen, but many kids would much rather try to figure out a way to attract the attention of the hot member of the opposite sex three rows away than watch a televised speech from anyone. But of course I'm thinking about high school behavior. Little kids might be better.

AGDee, I'm sort of amazed that kids anyplace would be well-behaved and quiet enough at lunch that their watching anything on TV at lunch seems like a realistic possibility. When you've been at school for lunch, what was it like? Was there a special event going on? Our cafeteria is reasonably tame in that kids are just sitting around eating and talking, but it's kind of a dull roar. They probably wouldn't shut up and listen to the speech.

[AGDee]

That's a good point, but truly.. are most kids going to be really watching it anyway? Maybe the ones who are really into politics or whatever, but I would think most kids are going to be doodling, whispering with their friends, etc. anyway..lol. I was surprised that lunch was actually much calmer at the middle school than in elementary school, but I attribute that to the seating arrangements. In our middle school and high school, they sit 7 kids per table. In elementary, the whole class is at one big picnic table type table. It's definitely a dull roar.

I guess, I'm thinking.. you can put it on, but you're not going to force them to pay attention no matter what the setting. A pre-recorded thing is probably a better idea, or something broadcast on Channel One. Distributing that would probably be more costly though. I guess there's no good solution for all schools.

[UGAalum94]

Yeah, I'm not angry about it or anything, but I think the whole thing is kind of a pointless gesture.

But maybe he will be able to reach a few kids who identify more with his story than they did with previous administrations'. It's certainly not going to hurt.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Yeah, I'm not angry about it or anything, but I think the whole thing is kind of a pointless gesture.

But maybe he will be able to reach a few kids who identify more with his story than they did with previous administrations'. It's certainly not going to hurt.

If you have a room of 100 and you reach 10 or 1. You have done your job.