I have been speaking with many people and finding out how each of our local districts are handling President Obama's Speech on Tuesday. It's amazing to see the range of responses within a few mile radius. If anyone knows how the Orange School district is handling the speech please let me know so I can include them as well. I welcome your comments.
Bethany:Sent a letter home in the children's backpack on Friday afternoon:
Dear Parents/Guardians,I am writing to advise you that we will not be taking time out of the instructional day to view President Obama’s Address to Students Across America which is scheduled for 12:00 noon on September 8, 2009. Although we certainly do want to convey the appropriate respect for the office of the Presidency, given the timing of the speech and the lack of information provided before today the logistical issues involved in rescheduling the entire day including the lunch periods would create a significant disruption. We will record the speech, evaluate it and determine how, where or if it will fit into our curriculum. We would also like to have more dialogue with parents in that regard. My suggestion is that parents and guardians make arrangements to record the speech so that you can view it with your children if you choose to do so. The school can make copies of our recording available if you are not able to record at home. Also, if parents and guardians would like to arrange to view the speech at school with other parents guardians and students we can work on those arrangements. Although we will review the educational materials that are being made available, we are not sure at this point of they fit into our curriculum.If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue please contact Mary, Rob or myself.Sincerely,Tim Connellan Amity:Sent an email to the staff:
From: Vigliotti, Kimberly
Sent: Fri 9/4/2009 12:34 PM
To: WoodbridgeHSStaff
Cc: Britton, Charles
Subject: President Obama Broadcast
Dear Colleagues:President Obama is will be on the air at noon on Tuesday (9/8) to address the US school children. If you were planning on showing this broadcast to your classes, please make sure that your curriculum is tied into this address. In addition, please permit students to opt out of viewing this broadcast should they or their parents make such a request.See me if you have any further questions.Thank you and have a nice weekend,Kim Vigliotti Woodbridge:Chair of the Woodbridge Board of Education's note:
My understanding is that, as the CSDE notes in its letter, this is a local matter for each BOE to decide. Accordingly as Chairman I've consulted with the Superintendent and signaled that after viewing the relevant material available at the whitehouse.gov website, and consulting with the Public Information officer at the CSDE, I have concluded that this initiative can in no way be viewed as controversial subject matter, and does not necessitate a letter home to parents or opt-out notice (such as we see routinely with sex ed or mature subjects in films like Schindler's List, etc.). Therefore, teachers will be free to incorporate this material into their curriculum, either live at noon or by viewing a recording the tech department will make available (many kids will be at lunch at noon, etc.). I've also advised that anyone calling with "political concerns" be directed to me, in my capacity as their elected representative in this little thing we call a democracy.
