President to address students on the importance of education

McKINNEY, Texas – President Obama will address school children on September 8, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (CDT).  According to the Department of Education, the President’s message will be focused on the importance of working hard, staying in school, setting educational goals, and taking responsibility for their educational learning.
McKINNEY, Texas – President Obama will address school children on September 8, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (CDT).  According to the Department of Education, the President’s message will be focused on the importance of working hard, staying in school, setting educational goals, and taking responsibility for their educational learning.
 
McKinney ISD will make the address available to students (with the exception of Lawson Early Childhood Center) at the end of the school day, but student viewing of the address is optional and at the parent’s discretion. McKinney ISD based their decision on the fact that the address, according to White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, will not be policy-related and is only “a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school.”
The live speech will take place during several campus passing periods and school lunch periods. Due to the logistics of showing the speech live, McKinney ISD campuses will allot time for viewing the speech at the end of the school day. Allowing campuses to show the speech at the end of the school day affords them the opportunity to accurately assess the content and length of the address.  Reports indicate that the address is expected to be brief. Activities and accommodations will be made available for students with parent notes opting out of viewing the address. Transportation and student pick-up times will remain the same.
Campuses will not be utilizing the associated questions or documents related to the speech and provided by the Department of Education as campuses were not provided adequate time to plan or coordinate associated civics or social studies curriculum related to the address. Campuses will be providing additional information to parents concerning the speech and process for each school.  
Parents who have questions about the address may view a summary on the U.S. Department of Education website at www.ed.gov.