President Barack Obama: continuing the White House legacy of speaking to American school children

Photo from the Internet of President Obama speaking with young children

On September 8^th, President Barack Obama will continue the tradition of past U.S. Presidents by hosting a live televised speech aimed at American school children. Both President George H.W. Bush in 1989 and President Ronald Reagan in 1986 gave televised speeches aimed specifically at American school children. President George W. Bush also spent lots of time talking to American school children. President Barack Obama will continue this tradition of speaking to American school children. At Noon on September 8^th, President Obama will use the Internet to share a live Back to School speech with American school children. C-Span will also air a live broadcast of the speech.

The U.S. Department of Education states on its website (http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html) that “the President will speak directly to the nation’s children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.” The website also offers teachers and/or school administrators the opportunity to download grade appropriate classroom activities that students can complete before, during and after the President's Back to School speech. Sample activities from the website include discussions that encourage students to think about and articulate in their own words what the President is trying to tell them about the importance of taking responsibility for their own learning. The website also announces the launch on September 8^th of the “I Am What I Learn" video contest on September 8th. After the President's Back to School speech is aired on September 8th, the U.S. Department of Education will invite students to respond to the President’s challenge by creating videos (up to two minutes in length) describing the steps they will take to improve their education and the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams.

Students aged 13 and older are invited to create and upload their videos to YouTube by October 8th. Submissions can be in the form of video blogs, public service announcements (PSAs), music videos, or documentaries. Students are encouraged to have fun and be creative with this project. The general public will then vote on their favorites to determine the top 20 finalists. These 20 videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges including the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. The panel will choose three winners, each of whom will receive a $1,000 cash prize. Students, parents and teachers should visit www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn to learn more about the "I Am What I Learn" video contest.

Local parents, principals and teachers in Baltimore shared the following comments regarding President Obama’s scheduled speech:

“I think it’s great especially for Baltimore City Public School students. Many of our students are not getting motivation from home. Having a speech coming from President Barack Obama, the first African American President…I think it will make a big difference. Our children need someone who looks like them, that’s been there and is still fighting for success.” - Tameshia Farley, Science teacher at Garrison Middle School
"I think it’s an excellent opportunity because President Barack Obama is a prime example of what creating or giving our children opportunities can do. President Obama was shown options and given lots of different opportunities. He’s a good example of what can happen to a child if he/she is given the right opportunities. He shows our children that playing basketball is not the only way to claim fame." - Kimberly Armstrong, Professional Parent Advocate and mother of 11-year old student at the SEED School of MD
"I think it’s a good idea for children to watch the President’s speech because our children need to know that it is important for them to receive a quality education and that they deserve a quality education." - Deon Avery, Spanish teacher at Baltimore Community High School
"The administrative staff believes that President Obama will help drive home the importance of a good education. All children need to hear this same message over and over again until they realize that they can achieve academic greatness and that they are in charge of their future. We will help them develop the road map and even help them navigate the sharp turns, but they must drive the vehicle just as they navigate their favorite video game system. Our school will use the guiding questions from the speech and make this message work throughout the school year. It will become a part of our daily community school message! We will record this speech and revisit is as often as necessary with our children." - Terry Patton, Principal of Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School

For more info regarding President Barack Obama's Back to School speech: Visit http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html