| ------------- Linda: I have recently learned of Buckalew's choice to participate in the Obama webcast on September 8th. The fact that the Presidential Administration has created a complete curriculum surrounding this webcast highlights the transparency of a public official to indoctrinate our kids. This webcast is not about Government-"How a Bill becomes Law"--"How to get Elected"--"Who chooses the President", or even "What's your favorite meal at the WH". This webcast is not about "Staying in School", "Being a Good Citizen", or even "Say No to Drugs". This webcast is not about creating a question/answer website geared at kids, creating a "kids council", or highlighting "Behind the Scenes at the WH with the Obamas". This webcast is about having a captured audience, sans parents, to garner positive feeling and support for his Administration's agenda, garnering support for healthcare reform (I promise you that will be discussed), garnering support for "freedom of choice", garnering support "for tolerance of all religions", garnering support for "redistribution of wealth" The underlying message will not be as overt to this young population, but the message and intention is clear. The corresponding curriculum for the webcast as outlined by the Educ. Dept furthers my opinion on the intention of the webcast. Per Dr. Stockton, as our Principal, you have the option in choosing to participate, or not in this webcast. We face an early flu outbreak, TAKS-preparation, and difficult educational goals each year, and this message meets none of those goals. This should be a topic where both the parent and the child are able to watch it together, and use the curriculum provided at their discretion. I respectfully ask for you to reconsider participating in the webcast, and instead offering the curriculum, and the weblink to parents, so that as a family, the parent and child can discuss the content, and not utilize precious classroom time for an unplanned webcast. To take time out of an already busy school year, for this type of "extracurricular" education is just not the best use of our teachers' nor our kids' time. There are so many other types of supplemental education we are unable to utilize due the strict time/educational goal constraints given us at both the State and Federal levels, including nutrition, health/exercise, art, foreign language, government, etc. I am not going to allow my children to participate in this webcast, nor in the discussions or anything else pertaining to this webcast. Since I am unaware of what educational options will be offered for my children, my children will not be attending Buckalew, Sept. 8th. I respectfully request that their absence not only be counted as "excused", but as a Moral/Religious excused absence. If an educational alternative is offered that is in keeping with our current curriculum/goals, and I am confident my children will not feel ostracized or punished, I may reconsider, however I will not eliminate the option of my children not attending school on that particular day. I am happy to discuss this with you further, if you have any questions. Sincerely, Parent's Name Here |
Just thought you ought to know,
Eric Standlee
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