Obama's speech to students divides parents

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Parents say they're divided about President Obama's upcoming address to U.S. students, with some calling it propaganda and others saying it's educational.

Obama is expected to discuss the importance of studying and staying in school during a speech Tuesday that will be broadcast on C-SPAN and on the Web. The Education Department sent a letter about the speech to school principals and a lesson plan for post-speech discussions.

The president plans to visit Wakefield High School in Arlington County in Virginia. The school was selected because it has done a good job with disadvantaged students in a racially and economically diverse student body, The Washington Post reported.

But some other schools in Virginia do not plan to broadcast the speech. In Loudoun County, officials told the Post the decision was made because teachers and students tend to have a day full of activities as the school year opens, while some other counties are leaving the decision to principals and teachers.

In the Denver area, school officials said they've been fielding e-mails and phone calls from parents wanting more information or venting displeasure, the Denver Post reported Thursday.

"We've received about 50 phone calls (Wednesday), the vast majority of them opposed to the speech," said Susan Meek, a spokeswoman for Douglas County Schools. "Some parents are worried they won't be able to be there, or won't have been able to view the speech ahead of time."

One Jefferson County parent said the speech was "political recruiting," the Post reported.

However, another parent said watching a president give a speech is part of growing up.

"I would expect my kids to listen to any president," the woman wrote. "My gut reaction is that there are a whole lot of people out there who don't want to listen to a black president."

Conservative groups and talk show hosts also jumped on the address, Politico said.

Conservative talk show host Tammy Bruce wrote on her Twitter page, "Make September 8 Parentally Approved Skip Day. You are your child's moral tutor, not that shady lawyer from Chicago."