The Budget Cuts

 

Tip Of The Hat: Why Homeschooling

Update: Obama, Department of Education, September 8th.

Earlier this week I made a post about Obama and his schedule speech to the school kids on September 8th.
The text to the speech has been released!!! So check out Obama's school speech text. What do you think?

UPDATE: According to Christina Erland Culver, who is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Education, the classroom activities provided by Obama for his speech may violate federal statute. (I learned about this from SpunkyHomeSchool)

UPDATE: The video of Obama's Speech! (It's suppose to be embedded here, but in case that fails you can go here to view it)

 

The plot thickens: Celebrities "I pledge"

I know that this video may be "old" and has been around for a while. (Well since January 2009 at least). However with the president's speech to the nation's children this coming Tuesday this video has hit the spot light.

The video is made by Harpo Productions (aka Oprah). It consist of several Celebrities making various pledges. The I pledges consist of pledges to smile more, to love more, etc. Then there are other pledges like I pledge to makes sure every senior citizen has health care. Or I pledge to help in the advancement of stem cell research. One of the last pledges is: I pledge to be a servant to Obama. Many of these things are politically charged and don't, in my opinion, have a place in the classroom.

What classroom? What are you talking about? Well there is at least one report that I could find about a  public school in Salt Lake. The school played  this video as apart of a welcome back to school assembly. The principal of this school is reported saying:  

Oops, I wish I would have seen this before. I don't think I would have shown it

Oops? I should have seen this video before I shown it to a whole school full of kids. Are you kidding me? If you saw it before hand you wouldn't have shown it. Why didn't the principal view this prior to showing it to the whole school? The principal has told parents in her district that she's sorry and knows that it was wrong to show this in the school.

I have to ask  HOW MANY MORE schools have shown this video to the children WITHOUT the parent's prior knowledge?

Here is the video in question:

This is just another example of how parents NEED to be involved and NEED to know what's going on in the schools they send their children too!!! (If they are choosing to send their kids to school)

Obama, Department of Education, September 8th.

What does Obama, Department of Education, and September 8th have in common? Well, President Obama has planned a 15-20 minute speech for September 8th. In his speech he will be addressing the nations children. The Department of Education is encouraging public school principals across the nation to show this speech to the children (during school hours). Not only that but the Department of Education has also sent out lesson plans with the announcement of this speech, encouraging the teachers to use these lesson plans. The Department of Education has also stated that the White House has had a hand in making these lesson plans.

The lesson plans had caused such a stir that the Department of Education has changed the wording in the lesson plans: WH withdraws call for students to 'help' Obama - Washington Times.

Is this indoctrination? Does this belong in schools? I will leave that for you to decided. Read the articles, Google it, do your own research and come to your own conclusion on what all of this means, if any thing.

Personally, I'm troubled, not so much with the speech, seeing it hasn't been here yet. I'll reserve my judgment on that until after I see the speech. I'm troubled by the actions surrounded this upcoming speech. I'm troubled by the FACT that the White House had its hand in making lesson plans for the children, regarding this speech. I'm troubled that this address is taking place during school hours. I believe that if the president want to address the nations children in a speech that it should be done at a time where the parents can be directly involved. At a time where the parents can sit down and watch with their children. I don't think the Department of Education should be using its limited resources (tax payer money) to make up lesson plans to go with a president's speech.

I'm interested to see what becomes of the speech. If it truly is about staying in school, then what's wrong with just showing the kids a simple Public Service Announcement?

Yes, I know that in 1991 President Bush (Sr) made a speech to the school children and that in its time it was criticized as being political, etc.  I really can't speak for the political climate of the time, seeing in 1991 I was 12 (about 6th grade). I didn't care about politics then, and I don't even recall seeing a president's speech @ school. I remember the sex ed video I had to watch in 6th grade. I remember the solar eclipse that happen that year and how we spent the day watching it. Of course we did NOT look at the sun, we used paper with a hole in it to monitor the progress. I have NO memory of this speech by President Bush. And if it was something that was done via school hours, then that's a shame, because I still believe something like that should be done at a time when a parent can sit and watch with their kids.

However, I already know that there is one significant difference between that speech in 1991 and the up coming speech. The speech in 1991 did NOT include lesson plans from the Department of Education.

UPDATE: I just read a report that stated some schools will NOT allow parents to let their kids opt-out from hearing Obama's Speech.

UPDATE: Obama will release the text of the speech on Monday. 24 hours before the speech is schedule to take place.

The Budget!

I know this really has nothing to do with homeschooling, but it was a WOW video for me so I wanted to share it.

Obama, Abortion, Conception, Fatherhood

This was made when Obama was a Senator, but I think it's one of those food for thought moments.

So yes, Mr. President if fatherhood begins at conception, like you say, then when does a child become a son/daughter? Just think about it!

Arrest Made @ Norte Dame

People that know me know that I don't really get into the politics of things. However seeing this over the weekend made me want to cry:



Of course seeing the above video made me wonder what's the "whole" story? What really happen before the arrest? From the best I can tell Father was arrested for trespassing. Father along with about 15 (some reports 50) other people walked onto Notre Dame property to PRAY (the rosary) as a form of protest to Obama being there, at Notre Dome, yesterday. The group was told earlier that if they did come onto Notre Dame property they would be arrested.

I'm sorry but Notre Dame IS A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY. It's very, very, very sad to see Catholic-Clergy, being arrested @ a CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY for PRAYING A CATHOLIC PRAYER. They may have been told that they would be arrested ahead of time. However I, for the life of me, can't figure out WHY a Catholic University would be apposed to a Catholic Priest leading a group into prayer on campus!!

Who cares if it was in protest for Obama being there?? Obama being there does NOT change the Catholic-view of abortion. I know many, many Catholics are upset about Obama being at Notre Dome. I don't blame them after all Norte Dome is a CATHOLIC University. And Catholics, in my opinion, should be able to speak out and say I don't like this! They should have been able to PRAY at a CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY!!