Education Secretary: Furor Over Obama Speech 'Silly' (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the furor surrounding President Barack Obama's speech this week to the nation's school children is "silly."

Duncan's department is taking heat for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany Tuesday's speech. Duncan acknowledges that a section about writing to the president on how students can help him meet education goals was poorly written and has been changed.

Duncan says viewing the speech is "purely voluntary." And he says the hubbub is something "I frankly don't pay any attention to."

He says he's is focused "laser-like" on the big problems in the country's education system.

Comments

[Jacqueline3]

This is all about racism, plain and simple.

[alexdog]

I don't have a child - but feel was a good idea to post the text of the speech for parents to see. I feel it is not my place to tell a parent how to raise their child. I can assure you there extremes at both end of this spectrum. If you cry racism everytime someone dares to question this administration - then you are going to end up quite hoarse. Remember the boy who cried wolf....

[Principaldad]

I disagree, for the most part.

I will acknowledge that it is not "all" about race. However, there is clearly a raciaI aspect. For some people it is very much about race (more than you would probably suspect, and many would not admit it even to themselves) . For some others it is purely a partisan issue. For still others it is because they have conditioned to believe whatever the far right talk shows say.

Regardless, the President's race makes much of the current atmosphere possible. No other president, not even GWB, has had ot endure such extreme attacks from mainstream opponents. Lots of right wingers are trying to say "lefties did it to Bush", but that is faIse. The only kind of Bush wingnuttery that compares is the 911 truth stuff and it has NEVER been even close to mainstream. Mainstream Bush criticism was always based on actual things he did.

Bill CIinton started out more to the left than Obama has. CIinton saw resistance on par with GWB, but like with GWB, mainstream opponents mostly stuck with things he actually did.

What is happening is not rational opposition. Any semblance of reality has been set aside and conspiracy theory has taken over.

It is for this reason that I disagree with the conciliatory attitude you promote. Posting the text of a speech beforehand was akin to accepting the irrational concerns as if they were ordinary concens.

[realpolitic]

I like how on Meet The Press Mayor Giuliani tried to explain that Obama might be trying to indoctrinate our kids and all the other guests just said that saying so was stupid on its face. Tom Friedman said someone on the right needed to say so. They are so right. These conservatives and their whining about everything gets so tiresome!

[AlDavidson]

I'm watching this debate from Canada, trying to figure out how this crazy discussion even gets started, in Canada we have what is call a news media, that's a media that reports on news, it may be boring but its news, in the US they no longer have news its, called tabloid news. In the US news story's are driven by profits if it sells it will air no matter how crazy the story may be. Break up the media monopoly, get real news back.

[proggirl]

If Obama wasn't elected, I'd be seriously thinking of moving to Canada.You know how to run a country. Not perfect, but pretty good, mes freres.

[realpolitic]

You are right, sir! The news media just reports the sensationalism of the far right here.

[Brightlight]

While dining in a high dollar restaurant in Colorado, the woman at a table next to us said, "no "Ni##er" is going to talk to my children! That explains it all, sadly enough.

[sixgrands]

And it's the sad truth isn't it? The venom that comes from her mouth lies within her heart, and she's raising the future of this country. Give me strength! This President honestly cares about this country & all of it's citizens. This speech, maybe the only words of encouragement many children will receive.

[CarolinaYankee]

Just saw a re-run of comments made by George H.W. Bush telling kids to write him a letter telling him how things can be better and asking what they think. WHY then did Obama have to not say that in his speech? Pure Racism.

Here in South Carolina kids do not graduate school they join the service because their families are so poor there is no alternative. And that is white and black students. The recruiter in my town always has a crowd waiting to sign up.

[KarateKid]

That also explains why people are so easily influenced. Most people don't want to think for themselves, it's too taxing on their simple minds.

[BurtonOerney]

That's right. George Bush asking school kids to send him letters really illustrates how people - not you, of course - have simple minds. Good point.

[Bude]

Quincy Illinois Superintendent of Schools.
Lonny B. Lemon email: [e-mail]

[phyllisFL]

All of this about President Obama's speech is so hypocritical. We can trust President Obama to meet all the leaders of the world and do not doubt that he will say things against the USA, but some parents do not want their children to listen to his speech. I am ashamed at those people to think President Obama would conjure about some socialist and communist statements to the children of our country.
I heard a leader of the Republican party say that the speech was changed recently when people showed their negative emotions. He said President Obama was actually going to give a socialist speech to the children of our country.

I grew up in the Bronx in NYC and my school was 5% white. We were not in the minority. I never grew up being prejudice.

It is my opinion that many of the people that listen to Beck and Limbaugh actually are prejudice and that is why they do not see President Obama fit to be President since they believe he is a communist or socialist. These people probably do not know what the words mean.

Sometimes I listen to Beck's and Limbaugh's program and get scared for the country to know what these people with all this hatred will do and not if but when any violence will take place.

[greenties30]

What's silly, Mr. Duncan, is having a man in charge of education in this country who wants to tie test scores to teacher evaluations, salaries,and contracts whose own district, Chicago, went nowhere in student achievement the 7 years he was in charge. Now that's silly.

[Principaldad]

On a hunch I checked out your claim that Duncan's district of Chicago (the third largest school district in the nation) "went nowhere in student achievment" while he was in charge.

The source is the official data from Chicago Public Schools:
http://research.cps.k12.il.us/cps/accountweb/Reports/citywide.html

Among Chicago School Students:
Reading scores that met or exceeded standards increased from 41% to 67%.
Math scores that met or exceeded standards increased from 38% to 71%.
Science scores that met or exceeded standards increased from 46% to 63%
The composite average meeting or exceeing standard increased from 41% to 68%
The graduation rate increased from 56% to 65%.

These are just a sampling of the numbers. The rest are similar. In fact, the improvement in Chicago schools is largely responsible for the corresponding improvement in the numbers for the state of Illinois.

Looks to me like you need to find some other source for your talking points.

[gettingitright]

It's hard to believe, but this latest outrage is even sillier than the birth certificate furor. Well.... maybe not, but it's close in the disingenuousness and the racial animus that motivates these people. Are these peoople afraid he's going to hypnotize the kids with that old black magic, that voodoo that black people do? Is he going to put some kind of hex on them? Or are they just afraid the kids might be impressed by his charisma and sincerity despite efforts of their parents to dishonor and discredit him at the dinner table every chance they get?

[Jane48]

Yeah, to your last sentence. Good one.

[justobserve]

They want to brainwash their children with hate!

[ericphillips]

Maybe the parents are because Obama, in a short speech, is going to give more interest in their kid's learning than the Family Values parents give all year.

[LemonMeringue]

They are simply afraid some schoolchildren might develop an admiration for this president. They are also scared that hearing about personal responsibility from a Democrat will confuse the brainwashing against liberals.

[ejhickey]

Is the President's address going to say something about the lack of respect for teachers among shoolchildren and about the increasing number of verbal and physical attacks on teachers and educational staff? Or is going some bland mushy statement about the "importance of education" and how necessary it is to "stay in school" "and "get a degree"?

[denicci1977]

The speech has been posted on Huffpo and it does talk about respecting teachers. What a negative person you are.

[WritingfromAlaska]

It mentions listening to teachers, parents and all adults - it doesn't address verbal or physical attacks, but these are the exception not the rule and it would be out of context to address these issues in a speech intended for all the nation's children, most of whom have never considered attacking an adult.

[chickline]

Shouldn't respect for others be learned at home?? Wait, I guess not after viewing some of the town meetings held this summer over healthcare.
One would think with all our problems this really should be the least one to make people's temps rise.

[oscartucker]

ej, you need to get out there and get involved. Go to some school board meetings and make sure the board of your district is doing something about your concerns. I agree that you have brought up some very important issues; however, I think your intent is to itch about the President's speech, no matter what he says. So, please, go to the link and read the speech. ***And, ej, if you are a teacher, you need to speak up at your faculty meetings and let your principal know that there has to be some concerns about this subject. You also should join your state teachers assosiation.***

[MeinNH]

And we wonder why we are the laughing stock of the world.

[wonketteRAWKS]

Duncan's department has also taken heat for proposed lesson plans distributed to accompany the speech.

On Sunday, the secretary acknowledged that a section about writing to the president on how students can help him meet education goals was poorly worded. It has been changed.

"We just clarified that to say write a letter about your own goals and what you're going to do to achieve those goals," Duncan said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

[oscartucker]

I hate the questiion had to be changed; there really was nothing wrong with it.

[negogato]

Not one single black kid will miss this address by President Obama. Not one single black parent will pull their kid out of class because the Presidential address is being given. Few if any Hispanic kids, Asian kids, Native American kids will miss this. Rare indeed will be the parent who will pull their children out of class because President Obama is giving an address on working hard and doing well in school. They may do it out of caution or fear but not because they disagree with the message or the messenger.
A few white kids will be pulled out of class by their parents. Factually that is what is happening.
The numbers may be small but here is what it is: it’s a white thing and we understand. And it is called what it has always been called: Racism.
But we have come this far. Racists do not like being called Racists.
Today’s Racists are expert victims. They are super sensitive to being caught in the act. They have their own lost war and battle flag and commemorate their failed attempt to keep slaves. They love the show and they love to parade and will be the FIRST to accuse others of playing the race card.
Expert victims. They have this down to a science and the media is so grateful for the news.
But the vast majority of public school kids will watch - and know that their struggle for equality in America is far from over.

[gettingitright]

Excellent post. And while I disliked everything Bus stood for, if he were giving a speech at my child's school, I would get them excited about it. Because the POTUS is coming and that is a rare, historic event.
Politics aside, aren't we supposed to respect the office. Wasn't that one of the main lessons being touted the past eight years? Obviously this is about race because these people have not given President Obama one iota of respect.
And now they're teaching their children that he is not worthy of their attention or respect. They are taught to revere George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, etc. and be very suspicious and downright disdainful of Obama. Racist to the nth degree.
They think because they're not burning crosses and shouting the N word, that they are not racist. They think the modern-day, more subtler forms cannot/should not be labeled racism. They will continue to hide behind the bogus "policy disagreement" justification.

[negogato]

Bogus indeed. Thanks Gettingitright
Weekly radio addresses to the country were begun by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. And for 8 years George W Bush gave his weekly radio address. President Ronald Reagan and George H.W.Bush both made nationally televised speeches to public school kids.
It is not about policy if it is just fine for Bush and Reagan to do it but not President Obama.

[Bloggerrogr]

Sadly, you speak the truth. Sadly, because such stupidity acts against this great country's potential to be a beacon of hope, charity and compassion to the rest of the world.

FWIW