President Barack Obama makes statements about the economy and H1N1 swine flu virus in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Parents who prefer their children not watch President Barack Obama's back-to-school speech next week can sign a waiver excluding them, according to a memo sent to Carson City teachers Thursday.
"Please provide an alternative setting for those who may not wish to have their children view President Obama's speech," the e-mail advised.
Superintendent Richard Stokes said the district office has received several phone calls this week from parents concerned the address will be politically motivated.
"There has been some controversy, and we certainly want to be sensitive to the desires of parents," Stokes said.
According to a press release on the White House's Web site, "in this message (the president) will urge students to take personal responsibility for their own education, to set goals, and to not only stay in school but make the most of it."
Like other districts across the country, teachers in Carson City are not required to air the broadcast Tuesday. It will be sent out on the White House Web site and C-SPAN.
"If it fits into their curriculum, they are certainly welcome to use it as they would any other resource," Stokes said.
He said that in speaking to other superintendents across the state, some have decided not to show the speech in the schools, others will record it to preview the content before broadcasting to students and some are requiring permission slips.
Stokes stressed that students will be shown the speech in classes opting to do so unless parents sign a slip excusing them from the activity.
Students in Lyon County, however, will need a permission slip signed by a parent in order to watch the speech.
"Parents are our partners," said Superintendent Caroline McIntosh. "We want to work with them. We respect them. They guide us."
According to the Associated Press, some conservatives, driven by radio pundits and bloggers, are urging schools and parents to boycott the address. They say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda and is overstepping the boundaries of federal involvement in schools.
"As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education - it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality," said Oklahoma state Sen. Steve Russell. "This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."
Arizona state schools superintendent Tom Horne, a Republican, said lesson plans for teachers created by Obama's Education Department "call for a worshipful rather than critical approach."
Schools in states including Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin have decided not to show the speech.
The White House plans to release the speech online Monday so parents can read it.
"I think it's really unfortunate that politics has been brought into this," White House deputy policy director Heather Higginbottom said. "It's simply a plea to students to really take their learning seriously. Find out what they're good at. Set goals. And take the school year seriously."
Most of the controversy centered around supplemental material sent to schools as suggested activities for students.
One suggested assignment originally instructed students to "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."
It was since changed to encourage students to "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals."
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.