Don’t Drink the Skool-Aid

An interesting article from www.redstate.com about next Tuesday's school speech.

Don’t Drink the Skool-Aid
Posted by Caleb Howe (Profile)
Wednesday, September 2nd
“Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.”-White House suggestion for post-speech activity for students.
Keep ‘em home.That should be the motto of every conservative with children in public school on the 8th of this month. That’s the day the President will be invading every classroom that will have him with what is being billed as a general, innocuous “stay in school, do your homework” message for public school students across the country. And if there’s one thing we have all learned, it’s that we can trust the Obama administration to say what they mean and mean what they say. Right?
Why should the presidential morning announcements concern parents? Well that list is too long for a complete accounting, but let’s talk about just a few of the big reasons.
First off, Michelle Malkin walks us through the materials distributed to schools to accompany the president’s instructions address, as well as listing some of the luminaries involved in Obama’s education plans. I would excerpt, but you really want to read the whole thing. Go ahead, I’ll wait.Over at HotAir, the normally skeptical Allahpundit is advising a wait and see attitude, suggesting there will be “ample time for outrageous outrage” later. I can think of many circumstances under which that would be sage advice, none of which involve the untrustworthy Obama administration or the well-being of my children. I’m happy, in other words, to wait and see what he says. So happy to, in fact, that I do believe I’ll wait with my kids. At home.
There is abundant reason and a yardstick-long history timeline’s worth of reasons to distrust what Obama is actually going to say to students, but that’s being ably covered by others, especially Michelle, Vodka Pundit, Dana Loesch, and Steve Foley.
Instead, I’m going to relate an anecdote.
I have two little girls. They attend a public school. Last year, we went to my oldest daughter’s classroom to see them present their “holiday” play. You don’t say “Christmas” play, see, because then you’re indoctrinating students.
So we are sitting in class, and my daughter and a few other kids, third-graders all, stand in front of the class. We parents then sat through the recitation of an excruciating litany of horrors that the world would be facing now that global-warming was here to destroy us all. Little scenes of animals dying were acted out. Prognostications about the end of man were made. Armageddon, as related by 8 and 9 year olds.
My own little girl stepped forward and told us all that in five years, if something wasn’t done, Myrtle Beach (where we share many happy family memories) would be lost under the waves forever. Guess how the play ended? With an exhortation to the parents of course. “Mom and Dad, what can you do? Turn off lights, drive hybrid vehicles, and vote for candidates who are working to change the world for the better.” A small child’s voice barely squeaked out “Obama” before the applause, and a few knowing chuckles, erupted among the yuppies, yippies, and go alongs.
Vote Democrat! …. says their teacher. This is not the first or last time overtly partisan, overtly leftist rhetoric was foisted on my children. That wasn’t even the first or last time that day. Every day they come home with something that I must debunk, refute, or dispute.
Now take another look at the lesson plan Obama is pitching.
*Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants or puzzle pieces or trails marked with the labels: personal, academic, community, country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in those areas. It might make sense to focus on personal and academic so community and country goals come more readily.
*Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
*Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
*Interview and share about their goals with one another to create a supportive community.
*Participate in School wide incentive programs or contests for students who achieve their goals.
*Write about their goals in a variety of genres, i.e. poems, songs, personal essays.
*Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
*Graph student progress toward goals.
I know my girls’ school, and I can read between the lines. I don’t have to “wait and see” to understand the lesson they’re going to be teaching that day. Here’s a quick summary “it takes a village.” Not descriptive enough? How about “from each according to his abilities” … does that work?
There is a puzzle being put together before us. The pieces just keep falling into place. Day of service. Compulsory volunteerism. Children being called to service for the good of the community. Can you see the picture it’s making?
On September 8th, Barack Obama will address the children of the nation. He will ask them to help him, as well as make pat statements about staying in school and doing your homework. And before and after he speaks, the teachers will be there, making sure your children read between the lines; helping them put the puzzle together.
But not my children. My children will be at home. This is one time the machine can’t have them.
*thanks to Redstate regular speciallist for the phrase “skool-aid”
UPDATE: Ed Driscoll notes the Obama administration is already backpedaling and covering-up.