Area schools ponder how to handle Obama's 'stay in school' speech

President Barack Obama wants to talk to the nation’s schoolchildren for about 15 minutes Tuesday to encourage them to work hard, set goals and take responsibility for their learning.

But it appears that few public school students in the Pikes Peak region will hear the speech live.

Decisions on how to handle the Obama “back to school” speech were being finalized late Thursday as area superintendents conferred with one another, staff and board members after hearing from dozens of irate parents who vowed to keep their children home Tuesday if the speech were to be shown.

Most districts are leaving the decision to principals and teachers, but requiring them to notify parents if they plan to air the speech. That would mean notice must go out to parents by the end of the day Friday because Monday is a holiday. All district officials said regular policies allow parents to opt out of any activity they find objectionable.

The burst of outrage that’s playing out nationwide apparently was fueled by talk radio hosts and bloggers, who warned that Obama intends to indoctrinate the children with political propaganda.

“I don’t recall anything like this in the past,” said Elaine Naleski, spokeswoman for Colorado Springs School District 11, which announced Friday that it is letting principals decide when or whether to air Obama’s talk. “I think the new media has made this more than it would have been otherwise.”

Naleski said D-11 received about 150 calls over two days, mostly from parents who did not want their children to hear the speech at school. The district has about 28,000 students.

The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday announced that Obama’s “address to the students of America” would be broadcast live on the White House Web site and on C-SPAN. It is to air at 10 a.m. Mountain time. The Colorado Education Association said the White House plans to post a transcript of the speech on Monday at www.whitehouse.gov.

In Academy School District 20, middle and high school students will be allowed to view a delayed broadcast during lunch, homeroom or a free period, said spokeswoman Nanette Anderson.

Pine Creek High School, for example, will download the speech and air it in the presentation room during lunch. Students who want to can take their lunches to the room and watch the speech.

Information about others schools’ plans was being sent to parents on D-20’s electronic alert system. D-20 elementary schools are not in session Tuesday because of a scheduled professional development day.

Mary Guinn, deputy superintendent in Falcon School District 49, said the decision on whether to air the speech is being left to school principals, but they were being asked to notify parents by Thursday.

“If they do show it, they must inform the families and provide opportunity to opt out with an alternative activity,” Guinn said.

She said some schools might tape the speech and incorporate it into later lessons later. “That’s what we’ve recommended,” she said.

Woodland Park School District RE-2 Superintendent Guy Arseneau said the district had only a few inquiries from parents. and the issue was discussed at a regular administrative meeting on Thursday.

There are no plans to air the speech live, but some teachers might use it later, he said.

“We would like to preview it before we say we’re going to use it,” he said. “Then we can build it into a lesson where appropriate.”

To see the Education Department release, lesson plans and related information, go to http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml?src=a.