Presidential speech to students

I am stunned by the furor over the president's speech to school children and frightened for our country. Right here in southern New Hampshire, there are school districts forbidding teachers to show the speech live and requiring signed permission slips to even show the taped version at a later date. Is the paranoia that has been whipped up over the health care debate reaching into the minds of mainstream Americans, or are the extremists just shouting loud enough to make it seem that way?

The fact of the matter is, this speech isn't about health care or bailouts or "cash for clunkers." It's about personal responsibility, goal setting, and pride in achievements. More importantly, it is a speech given by the man elected in a fair democratic process to serve as our leader. If school superintendents feel empowered to censor this, what will be next?

So what can we do? Please start by finding out what your local school district has decided to do about this speech. Has a wholesale edict come down from on high either banning or requiring broadcast of the speech? If so, get in touch and let them know that you disagree. I am fortunate to work in a district where the superintendent respects the professional judgment of his teachers and has left it up to them to decide whether or not it is a relevant and valuable use of classroom time--the same decisions he trusts us to make every single day. You better believe I'm going to be emailing him to thank him for that trust.

If there is a bright spot in all this, it is the incredible teachable moment that this debate provides us. I hope that teachers, whether they choose to show the speech or not, will take a few moments to talk to students about freedom of speech and the responsibilities that come with it. I'm looking forward to seeing what the president has to say on Tuesday.