Some area districts to allow live broadcasts of Obama speech

Some of the school districts in the Houston region, including Houston ISD, plan on airing the live address from President Barack Obama to students scheduled for Sept. 8, but many indicate they will pre-view the broadcast before determining whether or not it would contribute to their already-in-place instruction plans.
Massive criticism has emerged over the planned White House Broadcast, especially after several videos by liberal activists have been released with “I Pledge…” as a central theme. Critics charge the administration is attempting to use schools to indoctrinate children to support its liberal agenda.
Many activists opposed to the administration’s policies are urging parents to keep their children home from school on Sept. 8 in protest.
The President’s address coincides with the first day of school for many children in other parts of the country, but in Texas many school districts have already been attending classes for as much as three weeks. Because of that, local school administrators say, the timing of the address makes it “inappropriate” to air live to students.

Houston ISD spokesman Norman Uhl, in an e-mail to reporters Friday, said that district will allow "teachers to build a lesson plan around it" and will leave the option on whether or not to air the speech as part of their class up to the teachers.

Teachers are to send letters home to parents announcing their intentions, Uhl said, and schools will provide alternative activities for students opted out of the broadcast.
In the Pasadena Independent School District, a notice on the district’s web site maintains that “due to the concern expressed by our community, teachers and other staff, we will not present the life address to students in Pasadena ISD.”
Pasadena ISD will record the broadcast, the notice says, and give instructional leaders “…the opportunity to preview the president’s comments and decide if the speech is appropriate for our students. If it is appropriate, the principals will decide the grade level(s) in which it may be used based on the context of the message and the curriculum.”
Similar sentiments were expressed in other districts around the area – that the speech would be made available to students only if it were viewed as valuable instructional material.
“The President’s address, like Presidential Inaugurations and other national broadcast events, is only relevant when it is completely aligned to a teacher’s lesson for the day,” a letter from the Superintendent posted at the Spring Branch ISD notes. “Our principals in collaboration with teachers will use their professional judgment to determine if this particular broadcast enhances planned curriculum and instruction. For our schools and teachers to stop instruction to watch any broadcast or national news event is extremely rare.”
Spring Branch also plans to allow parents to opt out their students should teachers’ lesson plans include the speech.
In the Deer Park ISD, superintendent Arnold Adair posted a letter to parents on that district’s website saying, “Once we determine which students---if any---should see it, parents may opt their child out of viewing the address with the understanding that the student may receive an alternate assignment. Parents will be notified if and when the address is shown to students.”
In the Friendswood ISD, a notice on the district website says the district does not have the capability of airing the speech to all students at the same time, and, “We encourage parents to tape this speech if they choose and watch it at a later time with their children.”
The district says that individual teachers will have the option, however, to air the speech during their classes.
“Any teachers who plan to show the special presentation will notify parents and students and under Friendswood ISD policy, will allow students to opt out of watching it. Parent or student notification to opt out will be followed.”
Pearland ISD’s website also notes the district does not have the technological ability to broadcast to all students, and will instead record the broadcast and make it available for viewing later in social studies classes, adding: “Parents who do not want their children to watch the president’s address, should submit a letter to their child’s campus prior to Sept. 8.”
Alief ISD communications director Susan Castro said the timing of the event , coming during the third week of school, makes a live broadcast “inappropriate.”
“We will not interrupt instruction time,” she said. “We are working to record the message and then make it available to teachers who might want to incorporate it into their lesson plans.”
Castro said that she had not yet experienced a lot of concern from parents, but that any with objections to using the speech in a lesson would be allowed to opt out per district policy.
The Texas City ISD sent a letter home with students this week from superintendent Dr. Bob Brundrett said that because of the scheduled time of the address, “Since this time conflicts with many school lunch periods and we aren’t sure how long the event will last, TCISD will record his speech and make it available to the school to view later in the week.”
Parents will be able to opt their children out of the activity, and the letter includes a form allowing that option.
Several area districts indicate they will allow live viewing of the address, based on local campus decisions.
A notice on the Katy ISD website states: “As with a Presidential inauguration or other national broadcast event that contributes to the development of respect for our country, Katy ISD will make the President’s address part of each school’s instructional plan. Parents who do not want their child to either view or participate in lessons surrounding the President’s address should send a note to school with their child indicating their desire for their child to be excluded from the activities. Students who do not participate in the lesson will be provided other learning opportunities during this time.”
The area’s largest school district, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will “make this speech available to students, either live or in a taped version, at a time appropriate for instruction. Should the teacher choose to view the President's address, it will also be a campus decision regarding the scheduling of the activity. For example, the social studies classroom might be the appropriate class for viewing, or principals may schedule during another class.”
Both Katy and Cy-Fair indicated they would have locally-generated instructional materials for any teachers choosing to use the address as part of the curriculum, rather than relying on materials supplied by the US Department of Education. Both also indicated that parents would be allowed to opt their children out of such instruction.
In the Fort Bend ISD, the decision on whether or not to show the speech will be a campus-based decision, according to a notice on that district’s website.
“For those campuses that choose to show the President’s message, they have been encouraged to work though their Social Studies department/classes,” the district notice said.
“However, as Fort Bend ISD has done in the past, if any parents or students request to be excused from viewing the message, the campus will honor this request and provide an opportunity for those students to engage in another constructive activity on the campus during the broadcast.”
The LaPorte ISD website has a notice posted noting that “Teachers who feel that the address complements their curriculum will have the option to show the broadcast when and where they feel it is instructionally appropriate, whether live or recorded.
“La Porte ISD will excuse any student from participating in this activity if the student or his or her parent requests that the district do so.”
Requests for information from some area school districts was not immediately available. Some districts, including Galveston ISD, indicated they would be posting policies later in the day Wednesday.