Page 1 of 4 North Hills School Board Votes to Show Presidential Address During Assembly North ...

12/13/2011 http://northhills.patch.com/articles/north-hills-school-board-votes-to-showpresidential-ad...

Schools North Hills School Board Votes to Show Presidential Address During Assembly
President Barack Obama's 2011 Back-to-School Speech will be shown Wednesday at the North Hills School District. The decision won by a narrow vote at the school board's legislative meeting. By Kristy Snyder Email the author September 27, 2011 Email Print 8 Comments Related Topics: Back-to-School Speech, North Hills School Board, North Hills School District, and President Barack Obama How do you feel about the decision to show Obama's speech during school? Tell us in the comments. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama will deliver his third annual Back-to-School speech at 1:30 p.m. in a live telecast to children across the nation. And for the first time in two years, all students of the North Hills School District will listen to it together. The North Hills School Board had a heated discussion on the issue at their legislative meeting Monday, deciding in a slim vote of 4-3 in favor of showing the speech to students. Board Member Lou Nudi voted against showing the speech. He proposed that the school district follow the process they had taken for the past two addresses, which was to allow teachers the freedom to show the speech at their discretion. The school district previously avoided condemning or supporting to avoid controversy. It goes back to people having a difficult time with our charter schools, Nudi said. One of the objections why people have their children in charter or cyber schools is that they feel that the public schools are more liberal than they would like. Edward Wielgus, president of the board, voted in favor of showing the speech because of the precedent the school set when President George H.W. Bush addressed the nations schools in 1991. This speech was shown to North Hills students during the school day. Board Member Robert Barto also supported showing Obamas speech because he believes it has more to offer than liberal politics. I found it appalling that we would treat the President of the United States of America like he was president of a third world country, Barto said. Lets put politics aside. Hes the leader of the nation, for crying out loud, and if hes willing to take time to address our students, then we should listen. In last years address, Obama spoke about how the future is in the hands of every student, and that in order to solve some of todays problems, students need to work hard and achieve their dreams. He stressed that doing well in school is about more than getting into college or getting a good job its also about becoming the person who you were destined to be. His first address in 2009 focused on overcoming personal struggles to persevere. Obama spoke then, too, about how to succeed, describing how everyone must overcome their own personal failures and never let discouragement or prejudices bring them down. While Superintendent Joseph Goodnack initially proposed that the school board vote to continue the policy they had maintained for the previous two addresses, he said he has no qualms with the new outcome. Home News Events Places Traffic Gallery Elections

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2 of 4 Its really not a big deal, in my opinion, Goodnack said. Hopefully the controversy is no longer as it was a couple of years ago. I think when people actually listen to the address, its pretty mundane. Its very uplifting in terms of kids and what hes asking them to do to work hard and study and those types of things. Other local school districts seem to be following the same trend as North Hills. Moon Area School District will also be showing the speech to their students, but not as a live broadcast. Instead, the speech will be shown the next day, and students who do not wish to partake will be provided with an alternate activity. While every parent may not agree, those who attended the meeting seemed to be in favor of the proposal. I think its a good idea for students to be given the opportunity to view it, said David Herr, a retired North Hills teacher and parent. I would have been disappointed. After all, he is the president, regardless of party and philosophy. Hes part of the policy-making structure of the country. Im glad were going to do that. Parents who do not want their children to view the speech or students who do not want to participate will have the option of an alternate activity during the scheduled time. For all other students, an assembly will be called so that everyone can watch the speech during its live broadcast. Email me updates about this story. Keep me posted Email Print Follow comments Submit tip 8 Comments Beth Mellinger Flag as inappropriate 9:14 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Wow what are we teaching our children if we do not want them to listen to the President of the United States make a speech. Good for the Board for voting to have them watch it. Reply Val Brown Flag as inappropriate 11:39 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 I disagree. The board voted without enough facts and just on emotions. The other local school districts took a much more cautious approach to have it viewed the next day. This allows Parents to review it. Politics have been played out in to many areas they should not be, and this speech may contain things not appropriate for our kids. I agree with Mr Nudi we had a policy that worked for the past two speeches and with little research and very little discussion the board voted and changed that policy. Reply Mark A. Flag as inappropriate 10:54 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 oh for gods sake its a back to school speech for the kids from the president, its not about politics its about having the kids see the president, thats important. I liked to see the president "talking" to me when I was a kid, i didnt know or care about political nonsense. There wont be anything "inappropriate" in the speech, and even if there was, the kids will forget about it in three nanoseconds anyway. Why does it always have to be about partisan politics even when kids are involved? Just let them salute the leader of their nation and feel special for an hour. Reply Raymond Flag as

inappropriate 2:58 pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 I'm glad the students get to hear the President. What a wonderful opportunity! It's sad when people can't get beyond their own political agenda. You would not have heard these same people complain if it were a Republican president. Reply Greg Flag as inappropriate 3:45 pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 He was just telling the students what parents SHOULD be telling their children...study hard etc. Believe me, you would have heard the democrats complaining if he was a republican president. The kids have plenty of opportunities to see the President already, why take time out of the students day when they should be in class. Reply Mark A. Flag as inappropriate 5:43 pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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Page North Hills School Board Votes to Show Presidential Address During Assembly - North ...
3 of 4 The last time this was done, it WAS a Republican president, George Sr. in 1991. And the democrats didn't complain, everyone just let the kids feel special that their president was talking to them. Its a special message for THEM. That's also why its worth getting them out of class to see. Greg Flag as inappropriate 11:30 pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Actually the last time it was done WAS last year. Come on now, you know as well as I do that the world as well as "party politics in DC" has changed since 1991. To be honest, I could care less if the President spoke to the students. Im just playing devils advocate. Reply Mark A. Flag as inappropriate 5:38 am on Thursday, September 29, 2011 Why play devil's advocate; just want to be a Grumpy Gus? And politics has NOT changed since 1991, nor has it changed since 1791 even, its still just a bunch of people on both sides wanting to push their own agendas. Reply Leave a comment

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