We Are Doomed!

I just read the speech that President Obama will deliver to the schools tomorrow. I read the direct speech with no commentary from either side of the political spectrum so I could decipher its harm myself.

You can check it out for yourself right here.

In a nutshell, the President used a number of personal examples as well as examples from common citizens to illustrate his point that students are the ones that truly make the difference in their own achievement.

It is about time that we put the emphasis where it belongs.

I do not mean to take the accountability off teachers or parents but the students themselves are the ones taking these tests and doing the work or making the choices necessary to succeed. No matter how much parents and teachers and administrators do to provide a relevant and appropriate education for our children, it is the children that will determine whether this work is successful. Nobody can climb in their brains and control whether or not they listen, do their work and pay attention or focus.

His speech is on point. It is relevant. It is inspiring. It is meaningful.

It provides a lesson plan that directly mirrors a lesson I did myself last week. It is a regular opening writing assigment I do where I discuss the importance of goal setting and allow the students to discuss and reflect on their own goals both long term and short term. I am proud of the lesson and usually go back to it throughout the year.

Of course, students see speeches like this all the time. I recall our superintendent doing something very similar not too many years ago. Teachers like myself do it regularly.

But kids still don't listen. They still drop out.

So in the end, the reality is that it really may not make much of a difference.

Politically, I am ashamed and appalled at my fellow countrymen and women for turning this into a circus.

If we have reached a point where we are so divided that an inspirational speech like this gets blown out of proportion like it has and turned into another reason to attack our President on his policy, we are truly in trouble.

We are now to a point where we are sabotaging ourselves. We are cutting off our nose to spite our face.

There is no way things can change for the better when this happens.

A further downward spiral is inevitable.

Thank you very much America. You should be embarrassed with yourself.