Area's biggest district leaves Obama speech decision to principals

Colorado Springs School District 11 announced today that it is leaving the decision on whether to air President Barack Obama's "stay in school" speech Tuesday to its principals.

“As with every other classroom subject or lesson, parents will have the option of having their child excused from participation," according to a statement on D-11's Web site. "Alternative school work will be provided. Parents who do not want their child to participate should contact the school principal and make the request.”

Obama plans to talk to the nation’ schoolchildren for 15 minutes Tuesday to encourage them to stay in school, work hard, set goals and take responsibility for their learning. However, some parents object to the speech, fearing it and an accompanying lesson plan are a political ploy to indoctrinate their kids.

Several school districts in the Pikes Peak area are doing as D-11 is, leaving the decision to principals with an escape hatch for parents who don't want their kids to view it. Others will tape it and allow students to watch it voluntarily during non-classroom time, such as lunch.

D-11 is the area's biggest school district, with about 28,000 students. As of Thursday, the school had received 150 calls about the speech, mostly from parents who did not want their children to hear the speech.