Fort Bend ISD has announced that each individual school will decide whether or not to carry President Barack Obama’s Sept. 3 speech to American students.
FBISD Chief Communications Officer Mary Ann Simpson issued a statement outlining the district’s policy to local news media just before noon today.
Because of growing controversy and parental complaints about the planned speech, FortBendNow had asked the county’s three largest school districts – Fort Bend ISD, Lamar CISD and Katy ISD – whether they planned on airing the speech to students and how they would handle parental objections.
In the statement, which is being placed on the district’s website, Fort Bend ISD said each campus would decide what approach would be best for its student body.
“In Fort Bend ISD, the decision to show President Obama’s Back-to-School Message is a campus-based decision. The Department of School Administration sent a communication to all campus principals on September 2 stating that they should work with their Campus-Based Leadership Teams (CBLTs) to determine the best decision for their campus,” the statement reads. “For those campuses that choose to show the President’s message, they have been encouraged to work though their Social Studies department/classes.”
Still, the statement said, children whose parents object will be excused.
“However, as Fort Bend ISD has done in the past, if any parents or students request to be excused from viewing the message, the campus will honor this request and provide an opportunity for those students to engage in another constructive activity on the campus during the broadcast,” the statement went on to day. “A parent letter was provided to all secondary principals to send home with students that would allow a parent to opt-out of having their student view the message. Elementary campuses sent the letter with an opt-in, or opt-out, option.”
The district also admitted it has been receiving “numerous” calls and messages from upset parents.
“Within the past 24 hours, the district has received numerous calls and e-mails from parents expressing their opinion about the President’s address. Based on the comments we have received, we believe our position to provide parents with a choice as to whether their child does or does not view the message is in the best interest of all of our families in Fort Bend ISD,” the statement said.
Additionally, the district is telling parents whose children do not see the speech at school that Obama’s address can still be viewed on the Internet.
“Campuses that will not broadcast this event on Sept. 8 will encourage those parents who would like their child to view the message to do so via the replay or the internet. Parents can view the President’s address at www.ed.gov,” the message said.
The district asked any parents that have questions or concerns to contact their children’s school.
Earlier in the day, Katy ISD spokesman Steven Stanford said the Katy school system was working on a strategy on how to handle the Obama speech. He said the district expects to have an announcement later today.
Lamar CISD has not announced its plans nor responded to FortBendNow’s inquiry.
According to the White House, Obama will challenge students to work hard, set goals and take responsibility for their education. In advance of the speech, the U.S. Department of Education sent schools “outlines” of suggested activities students undertake before, during and after Obama’s speech.
Some of the “recommended” questions educators are being asked to pose to students include:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be President?
To whom do you think the President is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
Students in grades Pre-K through 6 are being encouraged to “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the President.”
Afterwards, under the Department of Education recommendations, children should be asked “Why is it important that we listen to the President and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important”?
Many parents have objected to the speech, categorizing it as “indoctrination” and “propaganda.” School districts and individual campuses across the Houston region are reporting “being swamped” with calls from upset parents.
At least one Houston-area school district, Montgomery ISD, has announced it will not carry the speech to students.
TrueConservative, Joe, Truth, etc.,
You will watch the behaviors repeat as previously noted. His MO never changes. Now he is claiming he wasn’t threatening as you stated and he follows with denials and more taunts.
His statement, “# FtBendConservative says:
September 7th, 2009 at 8:49 am (#)
….What say we meet at Bobby M’s house and you can call him out. What time is best for you?”
is now being attributed to others as is his classic pattern. Nothing new here and the truth about him and his crony network will be shared with all in his neighborhood just as it was shared with his predecessor’s neighbors. “Ft.bendcon” likes to dig his holes deep and rarely can he crawl out (he usually covers himself in more of the manure). Just his continued cycle of stupidity, lies, threats, attacks, rants and deceit.
Just keep watching and you will see more of the dead end pattern he engages in.
PS See you soon “con” as we walk your neighborhood. Thanks for the permission, not that we need it.
“1trueconservative says:
September 7th, 2009 at 11:50 am (#)
It does look like ftbendconservative is posting not so veiled threats” so it should be easy for you to show me an example.
sillyanthony did you let your mouth overload yourself again, are you going to BobbyM’s or not? You’re the one that brought it up. Can you walk the walk?
Joe you posted “the ones pulling the strings on this puppet are the corporate interests that want, indeed, “need” to have us divided and ignorant.” You were whining about being ignorant. I merely observed that’s a choice. Once again when do you want to meet at Bobby M’s?
Now this is funny I don’t care who you are.
People like fbcon are loud, and happily ignorant, but much more rare that they pretend to be, even in Texas. Rare though they may be, they are organized through their bullying and “organized behavior” to oppress the public and steal our tax dollars. I will lay down my welding and pay a visit to Bobbyfbcon anytime.
Once you understand all this true, you know who the real enemies are in our local political system and they aren’t your neighbor, unless that neighbor is “fbcon” or his clones.
As I’ve said many time before, he is no conservative, but a corporate welfare-vendor feeder and they use ANY means to protect the biz. One is taking relatively small issues and blowing them up in hopes of polarizing entire communities and believe me they have the money, marketing network and political cronies to do this almost unchallenged.
Remember I said almost. They have operatives in both parties, but mainly the local county GOP executive committee has several of their development company operatives controlling it. You will find some of the same vendors and contractors on the school district local education foundation donor lists. Some of those were on your hand-picked “feasibility committee” for the GSTC project you mentioned Joe and “con” often defends, as is his norm. Keep getting the word out and keep networking around this bunch!That is ft.bendcon’s MO Joe, true, truth, factually, etc. Attack, label, misquote, play victim, divert, lie and then threaten, but nothing he or the special interest tax toadies can do will stop the efforts to get the message out to the broader public and that includes walking his neighborhood among others.
It is nice to have his permission to “drop by” though and we will take him up on it very soon, …promise. You see folks this guy used to be their HOA prez (via self proxied votes for years) and pushed to raise that communities annual dues by quite a bit and when opposition formed and they voted he and his board off legitimately. He and the vendor lawyer declared the election null and void (wasn’t that nice). Sounds like other subdivision battles we know about in our communities in this county.
This is the type of undemocratic training these people receive from their crony boys. Once they pass the test they are encouraged to move into the larger arena by the same special interest who get a large portion of our tax and bond monies at the local level for their special projects, while we all pay for them.
It does look like ftbendconservative is posting not so veiled threats toward those in here he doesn’t agree with. Perhaps if everyone backed off a bit and then tried to understand the others perspective. I’m not as aware as I should be about what goes on locally, but would like to learn more. Hopefully I won’t be threatened by anyone if they don’t like my opinion. I do think we are paying much more in property taxes than we need to though.
JoeTheWelder says “the ones pulling the strings on this puppet are the corporate interests that want, indeed, “need” to have us divided and ignorant.”
Joe being ignorant is a choice some make.
Let me know when you want to meet at Bobby M’s.
True Conservative, What you say is true, but among the takeover tactics of fbcon, there are people with growing insights into to how our local government has been hijacked by vendors and favors at tax payers expenses. Many have posted between whatshisnames ignorant rants.
Most understand that a perfect example is the Global Science Center that was voted for by Smelly (pee-u) and our present FBISD board. It is straight out robbery and enslavement of the taxpayers. Where are the records that so many have requested???
Despite my advice to Truthseeker, I do think we should call fbcons bluff and all of us meet over at Bobby’s house.
I must say after spending some time reading this extended thread that I am appalled at what I have read. How can anyone fall for this bull. I’ve watched this issues manipulation going on in numerous areas of the country for years, while real issues get ignored. We’re in a recession and they’re raising our property taxes again and again.
Better wake up folks and smell the coffee.
sillyanthony I love your idea of block walking in Bobby’s dist. What say we meet at Bobby M’s house and you can call him out. What time is best for you?
I agree sillyanthony “PS Funny how one never learns.”
LBJ knew his voters saying you can fool some all the time. Apparently Obama learned the lesson well. Yes we can!.
The “libeling labeler” troll is back Joe.
Lesson #1436 vendor feeding large city and county vendors no bid and lone bid contracts who contribute regularly to your small group of local tax, borrow and spender politicians (on both sides of the aisle) and violate our constitutional rights as citizens regularly by engaging in these illegal cartels is NOT CONSERVATISM.
PS Funny how one never learns.
Because I do not agree with Prez Obama I’m ignorant? Another day same old liberals.
People like fbcon are loud, and happily ignorant, but much more rare that they pretend to be, even in Texas. He is best talked around and not addressed directly.
Ft. Bend Con you speak as a fool. Your rhetoric smells of lies and deceit. You can’t possibly think that anyone takes you seriously because all you ever do is feed a bunch of garbage that has no substance. You are the type of person that will attack Obama even if he said that the sky was blue, and you knew it was blue but you would deny it to the very end and then swear that it is red. In reality you are the real Con Artist propagating a bunch of BS.
Have fun keeping your kids home Tuesday, I can only imagine what they have already learned from an imposter like yourself.
Are you scared that they may see Obama’s speech and actually learn something meaningful about life? Are you afraid they may find out who the real deceiver is?
speaking of minds… Do you even own one.
more than you’ll ever open your mind.
Ft Bend Con do you ever shut the door to your mouth.
sillyanothony let me know too when you head out I always enjoy a good laugh.
FS when you addressed in your #110 were you under the impression we were “blogging pals”?
Factually, it’s taking him awhile because he has to get his responses approved through the GOP corporate chain of command from development company cronies like Miller, Owen, Hester, Hebert. . . you know the routine. Those one liners can be really taxing for some local elected officials.
Tabor, I will let you know when we head out. Thanks for volunteering.
I just want to make one slight adjustment to “Racism is man’s greatest threat to man.”
The greatest threat to man is an unleashed unrestrained corporatocracy that seeks to completely takeover the office of our duly elected president through exposing and fanning the flames of racism within our electorate. While we are fighting the puppet of racism amongst ourselves, the ones pulling the strings on this puppet are the corporate interests that want, indeed, “need” to have us divided and ignorant. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09042009/watch2.html
This plan has succeeded well with fbcon/wadefisher.
Here is the anwers to everyone question and mabe astonish about it.Please check this out http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html
My commentary is addressed to santhony,
FortBendConservative, I LOL at anything you say. Since, you pretend that you cannot distinguish between fact and that which is fabricated to maliciously vilify another.
It matters not what you say.
You are probably among viewers of that “Certain” TV News Program, that research was done on recently which revealed that their viewers who can be brain washed and led around by the nose with greater ease and can be convinced that the country is going to hell in a hand basket after 6 months under Obama who inherited the greatest challenges of all time, with the exception of possibly FDR, from Bush and Cheney and it was so much better under the former 8 years of Bush and Cheney have low education levels in comparison to those who are President Obama supporters.
Please cease from trying to have conversation with me and do not respond when I am clearly addressing another; we are “not” Blogging Pals and neither are we of “like” mind.
I’ve read reviews on that book. It should be interesting.
I noticed anthony that the troll gave you permission to show his comments in those neighborhoods. Let me know when you are going and I would be happy to volunteer.
Factually I think you would enjoy this book by Blumenthal, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party”….it looks at the history of the party from the time of Eisenhower and Goldwater and brings it forward to the false conservatives and the sell out of the national party to the large elite corporations. Basically it is about the selling out of our constitution and the middle class taxpayers that seem to feed our dollars to these mega-cartels often unaware of how these networks operate to maintain a corporatocracy (rather than a democracy or republic).
(this was posted in 2 parts and in reverse order, not sure why the FBN thread is filtering this way)
Factually I think you would enjoy this book by Blumenthal, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party”….it looks at the history of the party from the time of Eisenhower and Goldwater and brings it forward to the false conservatives and the sell out of the national party to the large elite corporations. Basically it is about the selling out of our constitution and the middle class taxpayers that seem to feed our dollars to these mega-cartels often unaware of how these networks operate to maintain a corporatocracy (rather than a democracy or republic). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy
(this was posted in 2 parts and in reverse order, not sure why the FBN thread is filtering this way)
I think after reading it you see how people like “wadefishin” continue to work as operatives. Once concern I would have is that some of the same forces are at work in the democratic party too. People must take back their own parties and reject the new age fascism.
Factually I think you would enjoy this book by Blumenthal, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party”….it looks at the history of the party from the time of Eisenhower and Goldwater and brings it forward to the false conservatives and the sell out of the national party to the large elite corporations. Basically it is about the selling out of our constitution and the middle class taxpayers that seem to feed our dollars to these mega-cartels often unaware of how these networks operate to maintain a corporatocracy (rather than a democracy or republic).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy
Factually I think you would enjoy this book by Blumenthal, “Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party”….it looks at the history of the party from the time of Eisenhower and Goldwater and brings it forward to the false conservatives and the sell out of the national party to the large elite corporations. Basically it is about the selling out of our constitution and the middle class taxpayers that seem to feed our dollars to these mega-cartels often unaware of how these networks operate to maintain a corporatocracy (rather than a democracy or republic).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy
I think after reading it you see how people like “wadefishin” continue to work as operatives. Once concern I would have is that some of the same forces are at work in the democratic party too. People must take back their own parties and reject the new age fascism.
“And so in that end and in finally summary I will say this:
“Racism is man’s greatest threat to man—–the maximum of hatred for a minimum reason.”
FS stop being a racist that’d be your contribution to society.
santhony,
In response to your #107:
Yes, it is evident that the same crowd who has no solutions and who got us in this mess in the first place are the ones behind the negativity of chaos. They had no plans and solutions previously or presently to do anything favoring the everyday needs of the American people
This crowd’s “only” plan is one based upon negativity to oppose everything and create chaos. Folks, it is all they’ve got. They have to create scare tactics and the Boogeyman and it has worked heretofore. That’s why this crowd continues to do so.
With an agenda that only stands for making wealthy people wealthier at everyone else’s expense, you gotta create some Boogeyman to distract people from your true agenda.
Getting average people to fight against health care, is evil genius on a monumental scale, and highly indicative of the ignorance prevalent in our society.
When you have no agenda other than to make rich people richer at the rest at everybody else’s expense then the best tactic is distract us from the real issues and to this crowd’s credit, this is their best tactic, distraction.. They succeeded when they get all of us average Joe’s fighting against Healthcare and anything else that is to our benefit. You gotta give it to them, it is brilliant, evil though it may be and also it is, simultaneously very revealing how uneducated our society has become. To allow ideas counter to our own best interests to be foisted upon us by someone who means us no good.. Yet , oppose and fight tooth and nail against someone who is trying to help us because we are so frightened that he is trying to brainwash up while already undergoing brain washing by the crowds of dirty tricks. There was a woman on TV just the other day who was distraught and in tears because she was so feared of what President Obama message to her children might be. How sad when some people’s minds can be kidnapped and they lose their depth of perception and cannot perceive who the real Boogeyman is.
I know some will scream and holler, “No,” due to being in disguise to the following but when we elected our first Black President we suddenly see disrespect for the office of the Presidency that we have never seen previously—and even during our very bad treatment of the American People by the former administration for former 8 years, the talk of seceding from the union in nostalgia for the Confederacy and reverence upon Texans’ never acted upon ratification of a long ago, bygone bill to join the union, etc., the antics of the Tea Baggers, the Birthers who never questioned or were suspicious of John McCain’s birth place; he was born in the Panama Canal Zone and there have been other high profile elected United States’ officials who were born outside the USA to USA parents/Citizens and no thought to denounce and protest and demand that they show their birth certificates were enacted; the actualization of the law in some states of the right to bear arms in public places— and, now, people actually show up in public places bearing arms in the presence of the President which was never acted upon before until now with President Obama–the Black President. And now, the governmental agencies like schools districts are complying with political agendas to teach school children to disrespect the office of the Presidency when the President simply wants to deliver a speech to school children to encourage children to do their best to achieve their educational goal; yet, particularly, the Black President is suspect of desiring to address children for political and/or sinister reasons, advanced by those who seek purposely to focus upon any and all issues to cause the failure of President Obama and in essence the failure of the American people through the prism of the biggest Boogeyman and the most insidious “ism’s”—Racism.
And so in that end and in finally summary I will say this:
“Racism is man’s greatest threat to man—–the maximum of hatred for a minimum reason.” —–Abraham J. Heschel
“sillyanthony says:
September 6th, 2009 at 10:01 am (#)
Truth, I wonder if we showed these manipulations by ft. bend con. (Bobby M.) in his posts to the constituents in his district”
sillyanthony please do that I’d love to see his constituents laughing in your face.
Truth, I wonder if we showed these manipulations by ft. bend con. (Bobby M.) in his posts to the constituents in his district, would they re-elect this special interest vendor feeder? We should especially show them the mangled sarcastic “eubonic” posts he places in the threads ad nauseum along with his constant defense of high debt, increased taxes and supporting excessive spending projects during record budget deficits all the while wearing his hypocritical login moniker.
PS I like your version of it. ft. bend con.
Ft. Bend Con, go ahead and turn him off who cares about what you do, your mind is already blinded and you can’t get any dumber.
Factually, spoken well and intelligently…. John Burn, the Ft. Bend Con will never get it.
As a student of the constitution, I find this entire conversation offensive. It is obvious to me that one political party decided to make this all an issue. It appears schools have had policies in effect to cover this political posturing for some time. It is however regretable that it was the grand ‘ole party, and I say that lightly, that initiated this ridiculous publicity stunt. The president has the right to speak. Party toadies can simply turn their sets off if they don’t like it.
maybe you missed my point I’ll repeat it for those who don’t “get it”.
“He can address the nation as every other President has and I can freely choose to listen or turn him off. That’s the American way.”
FtBendConservative,
For once, I agree with you. It is best that you not listen to President Obama. In fact I recommend that you not listen to him. President Obama’s vocabulary is voluminous and distinguished. You may have difficulty following him.
Every time he says an S word, you may think that he said socialism, or every times he says an H word, it may sound like public option in Healthcare, or every time he says a K word, you may think mistakenly that it sounded like he said he was born in Kenya.
Moving on to a serious point of explanation: let me break it down regardless of the background noise of misinformation/misinterpretation, purposely or not:
The crux of the matter is that President Obama is faced with a moral issue(s)in the same way President Kennedy was faced with the biggest moral issue of his day, 100 years after the Civil War when Blacks were still treated as second class citizens, and he “manned up” and “stepped to it”.
Today’ s moral issues confronting President Obama is the Healthcare crisis and the Education crisis.
On Healthcare—the moral issue: “No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.”
On Education—- the moral issue: How long do we see our children not succeeding in school exhibited by large number of kids becoming high school drop-outs and turn our heads the other way or stick our heads in the sand as if it does not exist? How long do we fail in educating kids that as a cause and effect occurrence we build more jails than schools?
If Obama succeeds in just the area of improving Healthcare alone, in this country—he will have succeeded in a way to warrant re-election and that is what the partisan politics is about—wanting President Obama to fail—fail on Healthcare and fail in inspiring our children to reach for the best within themselves to succeed in education.
It sounds sick that we would cut off our r noses to spite our faces, but simply put, that is exactly what is occurring. And the Corporations, the big insurance companies, the Pharmaceutical companies despise any attempts to reform Healthcare. They rejoice whenever we denounce the President for his efforts and call him a Socialist.
Even some other Democrats are reluctant to give the American People parity on Healthcare on par with what they already have because they too are in bed with many of the big Corporations, the big insurance companies, the Pharmaceutical companies, etc.
Obama does not need Healthcare reform for himself—He already has the best there is—just like all the other Congressmen—President Obama just wants us to be able to share and have what all our Congressmen already have—top of the line affordable Healthcare.
But, Obama can only win this by manning up, stepping to it and owning it as a moral issue.
Sad but true, some of those “Palin-John McCain type rally attendee” need what President Obama is striving for but they are so blinded by hating Obama based on all their “ism’s” that you can think of, they cannot think clearly long enough to realize it.
That is to say, any corporate takeover of “presidential powers” is treason.
This American President was elected to office by a landslide of public support. From that time forward monopoly corporate interests have tried to market and buy public opposition against the great majority of people who elected him. This is not only UN-American, what they are doing is treason
Factually, I just got off the phone with a friend that was told by his close contact on the local executive committee of the GOP that confirmed this whole campaign leading us sheeple around came down from the national GOP offices. This wasn’t some sort of accidental public anger, but typical propaganda from the neo-corporate types who control the national party. If you want to know what happen to the real conservatives, most have left. All that is left is a bunch of opportunist using and misleading the people.
This was a pretty desperate act Bobby from your corporate welfare boys. Stop being sheeple folks.
FtBendConservative,
You play such silly games round-and-round on this blog with your nonsensical, nonsense remarks by deliberately misinterpreting, misrepresenting what others have stated in their written commentaries, whatever that is that is actually being stated, and, so, you “really” do not deserve a serous response, but anyway, against my better mind, here goes, I repeat the following:
“Parents do not have to belong to the Democratic Party, or be of the same political party as the sitting President, or agree with his policies to model respect for the office of the Presidency. Since, in my humble opinion, it is my belief that we all want our children to do their best to succeed in school, and thus, to exhibit and model disrespect for the sitting President on the subject of education is very anti-education and very un-American.”
Factually Speaking–September 5, 2009—-9/5/09
Therefore, Mr. FtBendConservative, in case you still failed to comprehend what I have stated as a repeat of the above which was the second time stated, once again, for the third time, hear me loud and clear, to exhibit and model disrespect for the sitting President on the subject of education (with the intent to inspire school children to excel in their school studies) whomever that President may be is very anti-education and very un-American.
Some think we Texans don’t “get it” like Calif or the NE does,yet families are moving to Texas from Calif and the NE in droves, Texas created 70% of all jobs created in the US in 2008, illegals are dying trying to sneak over our borders, we are ranked 41 of 50( our President thinks we have 58) states in taxes. Our President says we have to share our hard earnings with his voters. He doesn’t say we should give freely he says it should be taken and give to those that won’t work. Why would we want our kids to ve exposed to that rubbish?
He can address the nation as every other President has and I can freely choose to listen or turn him off. That’s the American way.
I agree truthseeker…it is important that we steward the messages we send our children. It is saddens me to believe we are still in the 50s on a lot of issues but just like Rome, this to shall pass. The strong hold on Texas will change, we just need to continue to vote for those who will represent the issues of the 80% rather than simply the 20%.
That day will soon come and we all will rejoice at the action of one…like Malcolm Gladwell wrote in the Tipping Point…our tipping point is well on the way and it is not overdue because it is always on time.
I gree truthseeker…it is important that we steward the messages we send our children. It is saddens me to believe we are still in the 50s on a lot of issues but just like Rome, this to shall pass. The strong hold on Texas will change, we just need to continue to vote for those who will represent the issues of the 80% rather than simply the 20%.
That day will soon come and we all will rejoice at the action of one…like Malcolm Gladwell wrote in the Tipping Point…our tipping point is well on the way and it is not overdue because it is always on time.
the message we are sending our children, our cites, county, state, and nation. Texas is one of the few states in the union that has had a polarized reaction to this historical message. We are intimating division, hatred, and dissenion. Students and parents alike are asking the question, why have we come so far in closing divides i.e. technology, education, racial, etc. that we continue to nestle on the fence of mediocrity and biasi when it comes to issues like the one we are facing right now.
If you have child(ren) or have raised your child(ren), then you can attest that they interpret and synthesize messages and the undertone that they send just as critically and discerning as adults. As leaders either through appointment, election, or hire, we must steward the messages we send our child(ren) because at the end of the day, they are listening in more ways than one.
taking notes, “if you disagree with Obama you’re un=Americam!”
Well, one thing for sure, the actions of some will model an unhealthy attitude, a negative character quality which we all know what that is—cloaked, disguised, or however it is masqueraded; as well as acts which exhibit anti-education all pointing toward “disrespect”.
In sum total all this “Bull” of the anti-President Obama equates an unbecoming, less than positive character quality, belittling of an educational message to motivate children to do their best in school to achieve their ultimate educational goal/pursuits, and, last, but certainly not least, a modeling of disrespect for the President of these United States of America is un-American. The whole world is watching us “diss” our President.
Those who claim concern about what President Obama’s educational message to school children will model—well, to model behavior which is anti-President Obama (the United States of America’s President), anti-education, and anti-positive character mode is a model of a whole heap of “ism’s” not fitting to model for children, therefore, bearing a very grave concern. So, my heart is filled with pity and sadness for those whose models for children are not congruent to the development of a wholesome, healthy character. Children’s characters of tomorrow are formed today by what adults model today, here, now, and presently.
However, as a democratic society, if a parent does not want his/her child {children} to listen/view President Obama’s Educational message that is the parent’s right; whether it is right or wrong; moreover, to try and make a mountain out of a mole hill is highly out order. Any United States of America’s school system/school district falling under the umbrella of a government agency should be required to carry the President’s message and those parents not wanting their children to participant in the listening/viewing of President Obama’s Educational message should be required to send a letter requesting non-participation of their children of fill out a non-participatory form issued by the school district which states that their child/children will not participate or, of course, these parents also have the right to keep their children home on said date.
The children’s parents who want their children to listen/view President Obama’s Educational message should “not” be required to sign letters of permitted participation in a scapegoat effort to single out those parents and children who participant in a Civic American, Democratic (as in Democracy, not party) Engaged, Learning Experience followed by Socratic, thought provoking questioning.
Actually, it is quite the contrary; the parents who selected nonparticipation of their children are the only ones who should be required to affix their signature to a letter or a form. You see how upside down this negativity gamesmanship is; in essence, by requesting/requiring parents who want their children to listen/view President Obama’s Educational message to sign a letter of permission is an attempt to turn positivism into negativism. Parents do not have to belong to the Democratic Party, or be of the same political party as the sitting President, or agree with his policies to model respect for the office of the Presidency. Since, in my humble opinion, it is my belief that we all want our children to do their best to succeed in school, and thus, to exhibit and model disrespect for the sitting President on the subject of education is very anti-education and very un-American.
This was sent to FBISD Superintendent, School Board, and Administrator:
I hope all is well and that you have/had an uneventful Labor Day weekend. I am not righting this letter as an elected official (Precinct Chair for 2030) or a community advocate; however, I am writing this notation as matter of principle. Principles of being a parent, neighbor, and taxpayer. I have been contemplating this email for several days now given the recent flood of calls I have received from my constituency regarding FBISD recent decision to decentralize the airing of the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, “Back-to-School” message. Parents at Quail Valley Elementary received a “cut” slip letter without any sender signature that read:
“President Obama will address our nation’s children with a Back-to-School Message on September 8, 2009, at twelve noon ET. We encourage those parents who would like their child(ren) to view the message to do so via the replay or the internet at home with their children. The opportunity for a parent to view the message with their child provides a great time to set educational goals together. Parents can view the President’s address at http://www.ed.gov.”
Several things disturb me regarding the way FBISD handled airing of the historical and informing message from the President of the United States.
First is the Superintendent and Board’s decision to decentralize this opportunity to the school principals. The letter above is an illustration of how schools show poor judgment in not taking the voice of the parents who are diametrically opposed to this decision. Given the Pareto’s Law, I suspect there may have been 20% of the population who influenced the decision and to be honest, I am given the process the benefit of the doubt because there was not a survey administered to determine support or the lack thereof…empirically, this would have been the best alternative to determine the polarization of the parents in FBISD jurisdiction. To simply make the assumption based on the “law of the few” is not only disrespectful but also unsound on a practical and philosophical basis. Timothy, you wrote on your address on September 03, 2009 10:27:03 PST (should have been CST):
“The Department of School Administration (DOSA) sent a communication to all campus principals on September 2 stating that they should work with their Campus-Based Leadership Teams (CBLTs) to determine the best decision for their campus.”
http://www.fortbendisdnews.com/go/doc/1934/319969/
Parents were not notified of this decision nor was your response sent home. We send permission slips home to garner parent’s authorization for our children to participate in field lessons or activities. Why could not this protocol be implemented? If you all took this route, then parents for or against the viewing of this message voice could have been heard. I can recall watching several national addresses while in public schools and they have all had an impact on my life and we have just criminalized this opportunity and robbed our children of an opportunity to hear from the Commander-in-Chief of our sovereign nation…a nation that prides itself on providing its citizenry with inalienable rights…the right to liberty in the pursuit of happiness among the most prominent.
Second is the fiduciary and fiscal responsibility that we elect and hire you all to demonstrate on a daily basis. Currently, classrooms have been equipped with data projection devices, computers, and other technologies that would make viewing this message painless. As a taxpayer who subsidized the acquisition of these technologies then why are we not using them in innovative and integral ways. You and I both know that watching it live is much better than watching a rerun. If bandwidth were a foreseeable issue, then I would question your information technology strategic plan as well as the appropriate use of Technology Infrastructure national funding (TIF). Parents like me will keep my chid(ren) at home to watch the message as we have been involved in the campaign from the very beginning. As Precicnt Convention Chair for 2030 and Senate Convention Speaker, this experience is more than historical but it is culiminating.
Third is predicated on the message we are sending our children, our cites, county, state, and nation. Texas is one of the few states in the union that has had a polarized reaction to this historical message. We are intimating division, hatred, and dissenion. Students and parents alike are asking the question, why have we come so far in closing divides i.e. technology, education, racial, etc. that we continue to nestle on the fence of mediocrity and biasi when it comes to issues like the one we are facing right now.
If you have child(ren) or have raised your child(ren), then you can attest that they interpret and synthesize messages and the undertone that they send just as critically and discerning as adults. As leaders either through appointment, election, or hire, we must steward the messages we send our child(ren) because at the end of the day, they are listening in more ways than one.
–
Best Regards,
Noel Pinnock
“…our energy will convert to synergy…one voice and one message…”
http://www.noelpinnock.com
I just read the statement from my Precincy Chair 2030…you can read it for yourself:
Timothy, Susan, Amelia et al,
I hope all is well and that you have/had an uneventful Labor Day weekend. I am not righting this letter as an elected official (Precinct Chair for 2030) or a community advocate; however, I am writing this notation as matter of principle. Principles of being a parent, neighbor, and taxpayer. I have been contemplating this email for several days now given the recent flood of calls I have received from my constituency regarding FBISD recent decision to decentralize the airing of the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, “Back-to-School” message. Parents at Quail Valley Elementary received a “cut” slip letter without any sender signature that read:
“President Obama will address our nation’s children with a Back-to-School Message on September 8, 2009, at twelve noon ET. We encourage those parents who would like their child(ren) to view the message to do so via the replay or the internet at home with their children. The opportunity for a parent to view the message with their child provides a great time to set educational goals together. Parents can view the President’s address at http://www.ed.gov.”
Several things disturb me regarding the way FBISD handled airing of the historical and informing message from the President of the United States.
First is the Superintendent and Board’s decision to decentralize this opportunity to the school principals. The letter above is an illustration of how schools show poor judgment in not taking the voice of the parents who are diametrically opposed to this decision. Given the Pareto’s Law, I suspect there may have been 20% of the population who influenced the decision and to be honest, I am given the process the benefit of the doubt because there was not a survey administered to determine support or the lack thereof…empirically, this would have been the best alternative to determine the polarization of the parents in FBISD jurisdiction. To simply make the assumption based on the “law of the few” is not only disrespectful but also unsound on a practical and philosophical basis. Timothy, you wrote on your address on September 03, 2009 10:27:03 PST (should have been CST):
“The Department of School Administration (DOSA) sent a communication to all campus principals on September 2 stating that they should work with their Campus-Based Leadership Teams (CBLTs) to determine the best decision for their campus.”
http://www.fortbendisdnews.com/go/doc/1934/319969/
Parents were not notified of this decision nor was your response sent home. We send permission slips home to garner parent’s authorization for our children to participate in field lessons or activities. Why could not this protocol be implemented? If you all took this route, then parents for or against the viewing of this message voice could have been heard. I can recall watching several national addresses while in public schools and they have all had an impact on my life and we have just criminalized this opportunity and robbed our children of an opportunity to hear from the Commander-in-Chief of our sovereign nation…a nation that prides itself on providing its citizenry with inalienable rights…the right to liberty in the pursuit of happiness among the most prominent.
Second is the fiduciary and fiscal responsibility that we elect and hire you all to demonstrate on a daily basis. Currently, classrooms have been equipped with data projection devices, computers, and other technologies that would make viewing this message painless. As a taxpayer who subsidized the acquisition of these technologies then why are we not using them in innovative and integral ways. You and I both know that watching it live is much better than watching a rerun. If bandwidth were a foreseeable issue, then I would question your information technology strategic plan as well as the appropriate use of Technology Infrastructure national funding (TIF). Parents like me will keep my chid(ren) at home to watch the message as we have been involved in the campaign from the very beginning. As Precicnt Convention Chair for 2030 and Senate Convention Speaker, this experience is more than historical but it is culiminating.
Third is predicated on the message we are sending our children, our cites, county, state, and nation. Texas is one of the few states in the union that has had a polarized reaction to this historical message. We are intimating division, hatred, and dissenion. Students and parents alike are asking the question, why have we come so far in closing divides i.e. technology, education, racial, etc. that we continue to nestle on the fence of mediocrity and biasi when it comes to issues like the one we are facing right now.
If you have child(ren) or have raised your child(ren), then you can attest that they interpret and synthesize messages and the undertone that they send just as critically and discerning as adults. As leaders either through appointment, election, or hire, we must steward the messages we send our child(ren) because at the end of the day, they are listening in more ways than one.
–
Best Regards,
Noel Pinnock
“…our energy will convert to synergy…one voice and one message…”
http://www.noelpinnock.com
I meant to address the other poster FtBend Con instead of you Joe. Sorry for the error.
Aww… Ft. Bend Con Artist lighten up and grow you some, afterall when the speech is over reality will again hit you that he is your President and I know that knicks at you every day of your natural life. That is even more amusing to think about how that takes you over the edge.
So encouraging children to work hard and go to college is socialism now? I Guess you have to find a way to keep dumbing down your kids huh right? Who do these suckas think they are fooling. Get over your pathetic, hateful lives.