In response to the blizzard of controversy over President Obama's planned back-to-school speech which was announced by the DOE last week, the White House has now released the transcript of the speech and posted it online so parents, principals, teachers, and those interested can read it in its entirety at www.whitehouse.gov.
Late last week, The Associated Press reported on their interview with White House deputy policy director Heather Higginbottom, who stated, "I think it's really unfortunate that politics has been brought into this," and also noted that President George H.W. Bush made a similar address to schools in 1991. Like Obama, Bush drew criticism, with Democrats accusing the Republican president of making the event into a campaign commercial.
The AP also noted that most of the criticism was about the lesson plans that were created to accompany the speech, particularly the ones recommending students to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." Higginbottom admitted that it was "inartfully worded" and the White House has since revised the wording to say "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals."
The actual Back-to-School Speech is set for Tuesday, September 8th at 12:00 PM EDT at Wakefield High School in Arlington. The President's message will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov/live, and broadcast live on C-Span, or you can read the text in advance and decide how controversial it is for yourself.
Will this calm the storm and nullify the criticism? Time will tell, but maybe we will put our rulers and pencils back into our backpack, learn a few lessons from this current event and move on.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Okpulot Taha
I finished reading Obama's prepared "school" speech, several times. English teachers, those who are talented, will have fun with his speech.
This English professor counts 72 serious grammar errors, a dozen unacceptable writing style errors, 3 run-on sentences and a few logical fallacies. No spelling errors, though!
Most of Obama's grammar errors are inexcusable.
Overall, his theme is self-aggrandizing, written at an early high school language skill level and contains a few hints of partisan politics.
Obama needs to hire himself a professional ghost writer.
Interesting to me, personally, English is not my native tongue yet I know much better than to make those language usage mistakes made by Barack Obama.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Puma Politics
2 - Mike Licht
Worst fears realized -- brainwashing, Bolshevism and blasphemy! Protect your children!
3 - Clavos
Obama needs to hire himself a professional ghost writer.
As do all presidents, he has several speech writers. The one who's been with him the longest is named Jon Favreau.
4 - T
It just annoys me that every year teachers prepare and try their best and some politician (I don't care if he is a Senator, Congressman, President or whatever) apparently feels that the people earning the salary to instill the joys of learning (...along with the students' families) are apparently not doing an adequate job.... please, spare me.
If the people in Washington were SO smart, they would wake up and realize that they work FOR us, and WE pay their salaries. Let the teachers go to school and DO THEIR JOB -- if only the elite in DC could work with as much dedication and determination as the average teacher! If politicians were held to the same standards of success that a typical American employee is held to, most of them would be waiting in line at the unemployment office (Democrats, Republicans alike...)
5 - Zedd
Let's see if I get this....
The problem is that the Leader of the nation is talking to kids about the importance of education?
According to #1 the other issue is that his speech (not essay) has errors and sounds youngish. Anyone want to chime in? I'll volunteer. Considering that we are talking to children from 5yrs old to 18yrs old using a simple, conversational, youthful tone MAY be appropriate. Also, after GW uhmmm, can we really, really even bring anything up even touching on that subject? Is it not REALLY embarrassing to call attention to those memories?
6 - roger nowosielski
Sign of the times, Zedd, that's all it is.
7 - El Bicho
Okpulot, do you want to know the number of errors and logical fallacies in your comment?
8 - roger nowosielski
I didn't think the comment warranted a response, but . . .
"Talented English teachers" is a good one, though. I suppose the rest are just dumb.
9 - STM
Okpulot Taha: "Most of Obama's grammar errors are inexcusable."
You don't think he writes the bloody things himself, do you??
He's got a swag of speechwriters/press secretaries who do that stuff.
10 - Zedd
Roger,
What happens next? I'm an optimist and see the low levels that we have stooped to as a catharsis of sorts. Things will have to get "stupider" however before party loyalists (who enable the ridiculousness) call it quits.
11 - roger nowosielski
I wish I could share your opinion. I've been reading some French thinkers lately (Foucault, Lyotard), and I'm not very hope inspired. I'm not talking about individual consciousness but the humanity at large.
12 - Zedd
Why Roger
13 - Zedd
I've just completed a study of Ben Franklin (my kind of "philosopher") and I do feel hopeful.
14 - roger nowosielski
It's getting away from us. Let me cite:
"The new stage is slowly being set. Some of the highlights: the cosmos is the fallout from an explosion; the force of the original shock is still scattering the debris; as they burn, the stars transmute the elements; their time is running out; so is the sun's; the chances of a synthesis of the first algae occurring in water on earth were minuscule; the human being is even less probable; its cortex is the most complex material organization that we know; the machines this cortex engenders are its extensions; the network these machines will form will be like a second and even more complex cortex; the network will have to solve the problem of evacuating humanity to another place before the death of the sun; the selection of those who can go and those who will be left to face the implosion has already started - according to the criterion of 'underdevelopment.'
"A final blow to humanity's narcissism: it is at the service of complexification. At this very moment the stage is being set in the unconscious of the young. In your own."
"Ticket for a New Stage" in The Postmodern Explained, (Lyotard)
15 - roger nowosielski
I don't want to comment on good old Ben. Later perhaps.
16 - Dr Dreadful
It's no use, everyone.
Obama has committed a Serious Grammatical Error and under the Republican Party Const... ahem, of course I mean the U.S. Constitution... he Must Resign Immediately.
17 - Dr Dreadful
Rog, as fascinating as the subject is, do you really have to turn every thread into a discussion of philosophy?
18 - roger nowosielski
I was only responding to Zedd. I'll move it over to the my own thread the next time around.
19 - Cindy
Should his response be fuck the right wing or fuck the left win Dr.D?
(don't marginalize his way of thinking)
20 - Cindy
It's especially egregious considering the 'progress' made by everyone else.
21 - Zedd
Roger,
Off course we wont always exist in this form. However, I don't think that we are nearing that time. We will be extinguished as all species are (or evolve).
However right now we are missing the relevance of our existence. The pursuit of mythological ideals keeps us from apreciating our state. I know... ramblings.
22 - Zedd
Doc,
Aren't we all having philosophical discussions?
23 - roger nowosielski
Zedd,
I'd rather move this thread (of thought) to another site - my own. It's not that I can't take criticism from others, but if they feel I am imposing on their categories of thought, I'll respect that. Here is the link.
Cindy, Mark and I sort of started a group discussion concerning what I think are some key issues, and you're welcome to join.
24 - Cindy
Roger, I defended you again. I hope you don't mind too much. It led to a good point by Zedd. #22
Dr.D, My method of delivery was unnecessary. I regret it.
25 - Dr Dreadful
No worries, Cindy.