Obama Education Speech Prompts Backlash

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX –

President Obama's daytime speech next Tuesday targets students, and the White House says it aims to reinforce education - to keep children in school.

But it's prompted a backlash among some parents, who fear it'll be political indoctrination, and they want to keep their children home. Governor Perry, for one, advises against that. SMU Political Science Professor, Cal Jillson, says reaction among some is extreme.

Jillson: It's the tea-party, 'birther' crowd that's up on its hind legs, in regard to things like the bailout, the health care debate. And so being on the emotional edge, everything that comes along is treated as if it could be Armageddon and the end of the world, whereas what this looks like is just a speech.

Many North Texas schools will make the speech available to students on a delayed basis or make it available in the library. It's not mandatory. DISD will carry it live on its internal channel, & viewing is up to teachers and principals. U.S. Trade Representative and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk will watch it live with students at DISD's Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet school.

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