Anyone need a good letter to send to school with their child?

[pallnet]

Dear teacher of my child.I request that you exclude my child from the student presidential address on Tuesday September the eighth (09/08/09). If by chance the address is postponed to another date I will still want my child excluded from this address. Should I change my mind I will contact you either by a letter like this or I will phone you directly.

With all of the controversial political agendas our current president has been pushing on the public. I feel that it is not right for him to address my child without my consent or previously viewing in it’s entirety what he has to present to my child.

I am well aware that previous presidents have spoken to our children in the classroom. I don’t feel that a president or anyone in power should be checking his popularity level among children, this is done in socialist or communist nations, not America.

Although our current president is the first black president and that makes history for what it is. This does not give him the right to dictate to our nation the things he will do against the will of most of our nation. His popularity ratings are dropping for a reason. He does not deserve to be praised any more then any of the previous presidents, he is a public servant and that is his role. We do not serve him and this should be remembered when our children are being taught about him or assigned assignments that involve him. Politics should be VERY limited in high school studies like it was when we were in school.

Thank you for your time.

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

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[MinisterofDOOM]

An interesting point... But sadly it's pretty poorly written and the grammar's pretty horrible. Not something I expect to elicit a positive or meaningful reaction from high school staffers. I suspect it'd get passed around the office for some chuckles, though.

I definitely agree that politics should be limited in school as far as directly pushing agendas. Discussing politics educationally of course is very beneficial. And I'm very much against any form of propaganda (which it seems like the author of this letter is afraid the presidential address will become), having said myself many times that it's perhaps the greatest evil known to man. But I think "excusing" the child from the address is the wrong solution. How can the child make intelligent decisions or learn how to form intelligent opinions when he's hidden from whatever politics his parents don't agree with? It's not written anywhere that children must share their parents' views on every matter.

For what it's worth, my sister recently graduated from high school, and I definitely got a vibe that people her age had some funny views of politics and the world. But I think that has less to do with what's taught (or presented) by the school itself and more to do with kids sharing views...which I imagine more often than not come from their parents.

So I guess my point is: if you're afraid to let your child attend the presidential address, perhaps you should consider talking with your child yourself, rather than "excusing" them from something that might be beneficial to them. I mean, if it really is propaganda, perhaps your child will be wise enough to see it, which would be a pretty valuable lesson learned unusually early.

And lastly:You don't really think whoever reads that lecture-in-a-note has any say whether the address occurs, do you? Poor Mrs. whatshername the office secretary isn't exactly in charge of that crap. Barking up the wrong tree is what that's called.

[pallnet]

This letter was to make a point and not to gain a grade. The more this guy moves forward, the more we (the people) are pushed back. We will ahve "0" rights if he finishes what he has started.

He changed his address that was to be seen at the schools because his original address was along the lines of all the fears of the parents. If it weren't so then he wouldn't have changed it.

pallnet

[srellim234]

The letter does not make a point because it's directed at the wrong target. As far as the school is concerned, a one-liner exercising your option to have your child not view the speech is all that's needed. The political opinionations need to be directed at the school board and your elected officials up the line if you really expect to influence anything.

There are some serious problems with what is said in the letter itself. An educated member of a minority group who has attained much through educational opportunities is not necessarily "checking his popularity level among children." He may be extolling the virtues of education, encouraging people to take advantage of the opportunities he was fortunate enough to have.

You realize that previous Presidents did so? Then call them out by name. You conveniently left out that you oppose conservatives that have done it.

This speech dictating what he will do against the will of the majority of our people? Wrong for a couple of reasons. One, it's a speech about the virtues of education and opportunity. Two, so far he's not dictating against the will of the majority. Yours is the will of the minority acting like they're a majority.

As a conservative Republican for over 40 years who left the party when the RINOs took over and the party left me, I still respect our government and processes enough to let Obama attempt the things that the majority of Americans elected him to do. Heaven knows that what the Republicans and George Bush did didn't work to our country's benefit. The majority will of the people will be determined (hopefully) in the next election cycle, and I am open-minded enough to know that just because I may not agree with it doesn't give me the right to call it unAmerican or minority rule.

[themadscientist]

I think any letter directed at a school should be devoid of grammatical errors. You are sending it to a building full of teachers after all.

I would send my kid to it, but with a portfolio full source material on the anointed one. By the time he or she was done arguing anything unacceptable the whole class will have learned something. Anybody with kids knows they are inquisitive and ask embarrassing targeted questions. Obama wouldn't last twenty minutes in a press conference full of 12 year olds.

Mr. President, why have you stopped being friends with so many people you were friends with for so long?

Mr. President, why do you want to spread my parents money around?

etc, etc.

[Cold_Zero]

Here would be my letter if my child were not in a private preschool. It is late and I cranked this letter out in less than 20 minutes.

Dear Administrator,Why are you wasting the precious time in my child's primary educational career watching the President's educational pep talk on TV? As I figure it, my daughter only has 15,210 hours of classroom instruction in her primary educational career. This is not a lot of time to learn core fundamentals that will prepare her for a successful life as an informed citizen in this country and a trained worker. Seeing is that I pay taxes for YOU to educate my child, I really have to call into question what I am receiving when YOU sit my child in front of a TV instead of valuable classroom instruction in such subjects as reading, writing and arithmetic. I am already apprehensive of you wasting away my child's educational career with curriculum based on 'teaching to the test,' endless dittos so that you can have a 'prep period' and watching DVD movies a few days before breaks. This does nothing to re-enforce confidence in the job that you are doing to educate my child.

Looking back at my primary educational career, I sat through Nancy Reagan's 'Just Say No to Drugs' program and Ronald Reagan's pep talk to stay in school. And I have to say that the reason why I have never taken illegal drugs and the reason why I stayed in school is not because of these programs. To be honest, it was because I had engaged parents that taught me right from wrong and lead by example everyday. I learned from them not the President and First Lady that in order to be successful in my life, I needed to stay away from drugs and to stay in school. President Obama's Educational Pep talk will really have no affect on my child educational career. What will have a positive affect is hearing the contestant positive encouragement of her family to continue in these things (staying in school, working hard and dreaming/planning for the future) and seeing her family lead by example. It is my primary job to make sure that my child is properly encouraged to stay in school, work hard and dream/plan for her future. Please be assured that my wife and I are doing our jobs. The President should focus his attention on the more dire matters of this country's national and economic security.

Thank you,Bud

[Cold_Zero]

And BTW,I personally think that the discussion would be better framed with a speech in the early evening with students and their parents around the TV. And after the speech each family could discuss what was said.

[BusyBadger]

But I think "excusing" the child from the address is the wrong solution. How can the child make intelligent decisions or learn how to form intelligent opinions when he's hidden from whatever politics his parents don't agree with? It's not written anywhere that children must share their parents' views on every matter.

This.

So I guess my point is: if you're afraid to let your child attend the presidential address, perhaps you should consider talking with your child yourself, rather than "excusing" them from something that might be beneficial to them. I mean, if it really is propaganda, perhaps your child will be wise enough to see it, which would be a pretty valuable lesson learned unusually early.

And this.

In addition, as a parent it might be wise to get involved in what goes on in the classroom on days other than when talk radio tells you to. If you're worried about what one presidential address can do to your child I shudder to think what damage may be wrought after years of potentially biased classroom instruction.

[bigbadberry3]

Any opinions on the actual speech? (Sorry if I missed the thread on it)

[diamondj30]

I see it this way.http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=27318i usually just post things that are what i think because not great at putting thoughts down.

[bigbadberry3]

Too extreme for me on that link. I guess I'm naive, (or mostly biased as I am pursuing a degree in physics and plan to teach) to think pursuing an education is a good thing?

[diamondj30]

knowlage is key to life.Great major.I love science.Id partake if i had a brain,lol.My daughter just got her 4 year degree from u.w...She wants to teach social anthropology.A good book about how we teach children is "the diliberate dumbing down of america".I gave it to my daughter to read.It really pissed my mom off.She couldnt handle it.lol.Yep,she inderstood all to well!Good luck on your studies!!!!Although,im sure luck it wont be.

[telcoman]

A letter!

How about just some common sense!

http://www.webtvhub.com/howard...thing/

Telcoman

[szh]

A letter!

How about just some common sense!

http://www.webtvhub.com/howard...thing/

Telcoman

The words "Howard Stern" and "Common Sense" do not mix in the slightest bit!

Z

[rjdmmfl1]

Having the President of the United States tell children to stay in school, and stress the value of education is a positive thing.

Furthermore, after reading the poorly written "letter" posted by the OP, I think it should be something that EVERY president should do from this point forward.

How ironic is it that someone with such poor grammar would not want the president to tell their kids to stay in school? "I don't want dat boy tellin' my kids bout no schoolin and gettin an edumacation... I want my kidz to grow up an be jus like dey daddy"

[HashiriyaS14]

While I DO think that you should be able to have your child exempted from watching the speech, I think it's crappy parenting.

If you disagree with the President, tell your child why. Don't censor public information from them. Ignorance isn't the answer to anything. If you think your information is better than POTUS's information, then offer it to the child as a counterpoint.

You're their parent, they will weigh anything you say more than some guy on TV.