School(s) that did not televise inauguration! [Archive]

francophila

01-21-2009, 02:01 PM

i was stunned yesterday evening to learn that 14-y-o DS did not get to see the inauguration at school. he's a freshman at a 4-year HS (in NJ). evidently only one class with an African- American teacher watched it.

i told him that i thought it was no less than their responsibility as educators to ensure that everyone in the school had the opportunity to witness history in the making. i see it as a serious dereliction of duty. :(

would you make your voice heard on a matter like this? i'm thinking a strongly-worded Letter to the Editor of local papers; maybe even sounding out a local tv or newspaper reporter or two.

did this happen to anyone else's kids?

SusanMac

01-21-2009, 02:05 PM

My 8th grade neice in Houston's class didn't watch it either.

If you feel strongly, yes, I would absolutely write a letter & cc: the teacher, principal & school board. I also see yesterday as a huge teaching opportunity.

Shugness

01-21-2009, 02:18 PM

Wow, wonder why not? When I was in school we got to watch a lot of government related things, including inaugurations of presidents. Especially when I was a senior and in Gov't class because it was the first election year for Bush and the whole Florida thing with the votes was a big deal. Heck, we even got to watch CNN when major things were going on, like Princess Dianas death and her funeral. In fact, I even remember watching the verdicts being read of major trials - like OJ Simpsons.

I'd call the principle first and ask what the deal was, I can't imagine a reasonable excuse, but atleast hear them out so you can have all your facts straight, then write a letter to your editor.

leightx

01-21-2009, 02:21 PM

Our entire school watched, although one teacher (who doesn't teach my kids, thankfully, but sits across from DD at lunch b/c his son is in DD's class) made the comment that it was a total waste of time and that they should have been doing something more productive. :rolleyes: Need I say who he voted for?

MKSquared

01-21-2009, 02:23 PM

Seriously? A letter to a newspaper before you talk to a teacher?

What class is your son in at noon? Was it even feasible to watch a television at the time? Talk to THAT teacher, and if you feel very strongly about it, talk to the head of the social studies department. Exactly what kind of pull does a newspaper editor have over your son's school curriculum?

I had a dentist appointment at noon yesterday. I was disaapointed, but I've managed to see the inauguration on countless replays. What have you done to make the inauguration accessible to your son?

Spotted Pony

01-21-2009, 02:42 PM

My daughter, a kindergartner, told me "We got a new brown president today because the old white one died.":(

I asked her where she heard this and she said from a big kid in the cafeteria. I talked about the whole thing with her and hopefully she understood. I tried to talk about how they were taking turns and how lots of people picked Obama to be the new president.

Terri_A

01-21-2009, 02:42 PM

The weeone (who is just in 1st grade ) did watch. However, because it was during their lunch time, she had to go to the cafeteria and then return with her lunch tray - quite a hike with a tray to balance. I was a bit irritated with that part of it. I think it's great if the kids could see it, but if it's something YOU find particularly important, you can let them watch video of it that's available on all the cable news channels as well as youtube!

Jazzmatazz49

01-21-2009, 02:43 PM

Our school does not have cable in every classroom, so the 4th and 5th grades all met in a multipurpose room to watch. They may have started watching too early in the day, because the kids did not seem all that interested. Third graders met in the library to watch, and most of them were not that interested either. I think the second grades managed to use a laptop and projector to watch streaming video from Yahoo. The teachers were talking today about how surprised and disappointed they were that the students seemed uninterested. Maybe it was their ages, I'm not sure. I think jr. hi kids should definitely have been allowed the opportunity to watch if at all possible.

Definitely talk to the school before getting mass media involved. That's only fair.

Jazzmatazz49

01-21-2009, 02:44 PM

My daughter, a kindergartner, told me "We got a new brown president today because the old white one died.":(

A teacher at our school wore a dressy black dress and told the kids she was attending Bush's funeral. I think she is in for a reprimand when the principal returns from an out of state conference!:eek:

PurplePotato

01-21-2009, 02:44 PM

clairea

01-21-2009, 02:49 PM

I would definitely talk to the school first. In the future, if there is an event that you feel as strongly about, I would consider talking to the school in advance so that you can make your wishes known (and plan accordingly if they are not going to show the event).

My third grader saw the inauguration at school. My 5th grader's class tried to watch, but couldn't get the tv in their classroom to work. I don't know whether the entire school watched or not. DH and I did discuss over the weekend whether the kids would get to see the inauguration at school and I really didn't know whether they would show it or not. We decided to record it so they could see it at home later in the day, but if it was important to me for them to see it live and the school wasn't showing it, I would have kept them home for that portion of the day.

SDMomChef

01-21-2009, 02:49 PM

Couple of thoughts.

1. Yes, I would be upset because it is a historical moment in our history. It also a great lesson on democracy and peaceful transitions of power. I would talk to the teacher before I sent a letter - unfortunately, you can never get back that moment in time.

My kids did watch it at school, and they were so excited to tell me when I got home from work that they got to see Obama sworn in.

2. My kids also watched it over CNN.com on the smart board in their classroom. Not every classroom has a smart board, so some classes doubled-up.

3. When I grew up, I do recall watching inaugurations - as well as launching of the space shuttle. In elementary school, I even remember the teacher bringing in the TV after the assassination attempt on Pres. Reagan.

leightx

01-21-2009, 02:51 PM

Um...we never watched news events in school. We may have discussed them but watch? Um...no. Our school did not have nearly enough tv's to provide one to every single class room.

You could have taped it and watched it together at night. That probably would have been more meaningful anyways.

Really?? I remember watching many significant events in the classroom - the Challenger explosion being the most memorable.

I do think there's something to be said for watching historical events as they unfold, rather than after the fact on Youtube (this said as someone who missed the entire inauguration due to an untimely stomach virus :( ).

TieKitty

01-21-2009, 02:54 PM

After watching the inauguration yesterday, and many of the ceremonies, I mentioned to my DH that when I was growing up I had never seen an inauguration live. He said the same was true for him. It was always news clips after the fact. And, Lord knows, with as many news stations out there now, it's probably still being aired.

I'm sure there are many classrooms that do not have access to TVs or other reasons it wouldn't have been shown. If it had been an Anglo-American Republican being inaugurated would you still feel this way?

If it is that important to you I would talk to the teacher, and let him/her know how you feel.

greysangel

01-21-2009, 02:57 PM

If it had been an Anglo-American Republican being inaugurated would you still feel this way?

UGH...it's going to be a long four years if every single presidential event is analyzed like this!

And while I don't think it's necessarily schools' responsibility to make sure every student of every age watches this, we certainly did at my school. I remember the shuttle launches, Reagan being sworn in etc..

PurplePotato

01-21-2009, 03:00 PM

SueK

01-21-2009, 03:03 PM

Um...we never watched news events in school. We may have discussed them but watch? Um...no. Our school did not have nearly enough tv's to provide one to every single class room.

Same here. Of course, I was in school during the Ice Age. ;)

DD1's school has really been into it, though, and had mock elections last fall, etc.

krhm

01-21-2009, 03:04 PM

Really?? I remember watching many significant events in the classroom - the Challenger explosion being the most memorable.

I do think there's something to be said for watching historical events as they unfold, rather than after the fact on Youtube (this said as someone who missed the entire inauguration due to an untimely stomach virus :( ).

I agree with this completely (and we watched the Challenger explosion from the front steps of my school, realized something was horribly wrong, then ran inside trying to find a tv). All of my memories of significant events are special to me, even when they were of tragic circumstances. I bought copies of the newspapers yesterday to save for my daughters, and although I had already asked both of their teachers if they would watch, I also TiVo'd the whole thing just in case.

I agree with the others that you should ask the teacher first before doing anything else.

BucknellAlum

01-21-2009, 03:09 PM

My children's school sent a voicemail home on Friday saying they would be watching the inauguration on Tuesday. I was pleasantly surprised, I did not think they would interrupt the school day for this. I would have been happy if they watched it no matter who was being inaugurated, or even if this were not a historic inauguration, because I think it is an important lesson in our political system - the peaceful transition of power. Unfortunately not all countries enjoy such a privilege.

However, I do not remember, growing up, seeing anything on TV or even radio, of any importance. I remember a friend's mom telling us about Reagan being shot when she picked us up after school, that is as close as I remember. My DH remembers world series games being shown on TV at school!! :eek:

KristaMB

01-21-2009, 03:11 PM

Neither of my kids watched the inauguration at school yesterday. I know DS, in 2nd grade, does not have a television in his classroom. He watched the coverage leading up to it before school started, and I wish that he would have had the opportunity to watch it "live" but he was happy watching it on DVR. DD is 4, and it doesn't seem like something that would hold preschoolers attention. Both of my kids did talk about the inauguration in class. DD has a nice stick figure, 4 fingered drawing of Obama to prove it. :)

DS, our carpool buddy, and I did listen to the festivities on NPR on the drive to school, and we talked about how while they were at circle time, we'd be getting a new president. I told them that when they looked at the clock and saw that is was 9, they'd know Barack Obama was in office.

Franc, I tend to agree with other posters. You should speak to your child's teacher about it. At least give the school a chance to respond before you take your complaints to the newspapers. I would be upset if my children did not have the chance to see any coverage of it at all, but with DVR and so many videos posted online, I think there is ample opportunity.

Also, we didn't watch much coverage of events in school, but I distinctly remember watching the Challenger explosion in 6th grade.

DanaSD

01-21-2009, 03:19 PM

JenniferJJ

01-21-2009, 03:33 PM

mcgee

01-21-2009, 03:35 PM

Nowadays you don't really need a TV - a computer, internet access, and a projector should suffice. But I remember in my youth - waaayyy back in the 60s - parents would bring in their portable TV sets so we could watch major events like John Glenn orbiting the earth.

Gilgamesh37

01-21-2009, 03:45 PM

I graduated high school in 1980, so much earlier than a lot of you--not once did we ever watch anything on tv during school. Heck, filmstrips were a big thrill!

That said, let me give a different perspective--my best friend is a middle school social studies teacher. Their superintendant decreed that every student would watch the entire inauguration coverage--something like half the school day. She wanted them to all watch together, but there's literally no place to hold all of them at once. My friend was annoyed--yes, she had planned a lesson on the inauguration, and likely would have shown parts of it, with discussion about its significance. She resented being told how it would be presented (esp about something that's actually in her subject field), and being denied the opportunity to actually TEACH about it in a way that was meaningful--i.e., being able to stop a recording, talk about what the oath means, how it was developed, why etc.

Other teachers in the lower grades also expressed extreme concern that should something awful happen (worst case scenario, an assasination, a bomb, etc) that all those small children would be watching it live. So there is another viewpoint here.

Certainly talk to the teacher and find out what the situation was and express your opinion that the class should have been allowed to watch. And certainly there is ample video of it available that you can watch it with your child now and explain what you consider to be the importance of it.

lindrusso

01-21-2009, 03:56 PM

I think the teacher did miss an opportunity but editorials and newspapers and reporters? That's an overreaction, IMO.

Having worked in a school office before, I would think that the school would be MUCH more likely to listen to you and take what you said to heart if you came and talked to them. If you attack them in such a public forum, you will only anger them and put them on the defensive.

I would think the school would be very wary of dealing with you at all if you pulled a stunt like that over something that really seems like a fairly small thing in the scheme of things.

Many of us did not get to see the inauguration for many reasons but it doesn't take away from the moment and it doesn't mean your son can't still learn from it and share in it after the fact.

Robyncz

01-21-2009, 03:57 PM

I think there are many different ways to look at this. But primarily, I think it's the parents' responsibility to make something like this available to your child if you think it's that important. And I'm not really sure what good complaining after the fact is going to do you. With some extreme exceptions, we have to be able to trust teachers to use the their class time in a way they think is most productive for their class.

Would I have spent class time watching the coverage if I were teaching? I think so--because I think real life offers the most valuable teachable moments. But that's not always possible and is dependent on a lot of factors. Like someone else said, not every classroom has a tv. Yes the coverage was streamed, but how practical is it to have 25 kids huddled around a computer monitor? Furthermore, each teacher has to be responsible for their own classroom management. It is possible that the teacher knew there was no way the inauguration was going to hold the interest of the kids in her class.

The upshot is, I think it's the classroom teacher's responsibility to manage their classroom time in a way that is most productive for that class. And it's our responsibility as parents to do the rest.

ChipperCC

01-21-2009, 04:01 PM

I think that's awful, here was a huge moment in history, that doesn't require a textbook, and they couldnt even turn on the 'power' button. At least the kids will be able to watch tapings of it, but it's one of those moments where you remember where you were and what you were thinking and what was going on through the minds of all the other people watching it with you. Hopefully after you write your letter, something like this will never happen again. Yes you can change their minds!

I was a senior in high school when the towers fell and every class room had it on television. This is our country, what could be more important than that?

newcook

01-21-2009, 05:00 PM

I'm Canadian and I thought our kids should be allowed to watch at school. Is there a better way to teach children the importance of voting, and the privilege of living in a democracy?

Most of my co-workers were glued to their computers to watch and the owner of the company let people out early to go to a restaurant with a large screen TV to watch. In a sense, the President of the United States of America leads the entire world, so I can not begin to comprehend how American children would not have been watching.

I woke up this morning and felt completely compelled to pray for him because of the enormity of the challenge facing him.

testkitchen45

01-21-2009, 05:28 PM

I understand you're upset, but that's what TiVo would have been for. :) My kids all saw the inauguration at their schools, but I researched it ahead of time to see if they'd see this historic swearing-in at school, and recorded it just in case. Good thing, too, since one DS couldn't hear it very well, so he ended up hearing it for the first time with us that evening after all. I think you should talk to the teacher but not blow it out of proportion.

Our entire school watched, although one teacher (who doesn't teach my kids, thankfully, but sits across from DD at lunch b/c his son is in DD's class) made the comment that it was a total waste of time and that they should have been doing something more productive. :rolleyes: Need I say who he voted for?

Hey, now ;) :D; I'm a R and I was glued to the set, teary-eyed, at this momentous occasion for our country. (I do agree that the teacher sounded like a jerk, though.)

I do think there's something to be said for watching historical events as they unfold, rather than after the fact on Youtube (this said as someone who missed the entire inauguration due to an untimely stomach virus :( ).

Oh, now I know why you're a little snarky when you're usually quite pleasant :) . . . so sorry you're not feeling well!! I hope you're better, and were able to enjoy the video'd inauguration. Stomach viruses are the worst. :(

Heck, filmstrips were a big thrill!

Ooohhh, filmstrips! "Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?" :D

francophila

01-21-2009, 06:29 PM

thank you all very much for the feedback and input. it's instructive to read the varying viewpoints. those who said i should be speaking with school personnel about it are correct. i stewed about it all day and was upset when i posted. i should have added that DS was also very upset and felt that he'd been cheated out of an important experience.

of course there were (and forever will be) opportunities to see it re-televised, on Tivo, on the 'net, etc. however, in my mind that was a pale alternative to watching it in live time and in the company of a group, with the electric excitement of the moment in the air. it's just not the same, imo.

i'm trying to wrap my brain around the notion that in practical terms it wouldn't have been possible in some schools... cause i keep thinking that a savvy bunch of techies wouldn't have to think to find a simple solution to that.

Gumbeaux

01-21-2009, 06:35 PM

I do think there's something to be said for watching historical events as they unfold, rather than after the fact on Youtube (this said as someone who missed the entire inauguration due to an untimely stomach virus :( ).

of course there were (and forever will be) opportunities to see it re-televised, on Tivo, on the 'net, etc. however, in my mind that was a pale alternative to watching it in live time and in the company of a group, with the electric excitement of the moment in the air. it's just not the same, imo.

I agree. IMHO, it would be a great opportunity to have a history and/or civics teacher explain and answer questions about the inauguration.

ADM

01-21-2009, 06:36 PM

The students in our small town got to watch the oath of office. The older students listened to the speech as well.

Plus, our schools sent 2 high school students and 2 sponsers to Washington to see the inauguration. The students were chosen on the basis of written essays.

LaraW

01-21-2009, 07:48 PM

I personally don't like the idea of a parent telling an educator exactly what must be presented. There are history-making event many times. Are the kids just going to watch TV all day? If I had a child, I would want them in school learning from the teacher. I would take a good guess that most (not all) of the people who really felt strongly about the Inauguration were democrats. So what about the kids of parents who are Rs? I can hardly see how the teacher is seriously not doing his/her duty. What's next - telling the teacher where your child must go for field trips? You could certainly have DVRd this or watch it on You Tube.

I highly doubt that kids are "watching TV all day" to see a historic event.

My school showed the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981. I was in 3rd grade, and I have seen every Presidential Inauguration ever since, and have not voted for the inauguree every time (heck, some of those I was too young to vote, so I didn't vote at all).

It was that important enough that they used actual events unfolding to teach us about the Constitution, the peaceful transfer of power and the like. IMO, every Inauguration is a historic event, not just this one. It doesn't matter if you voted for him or not, he is still your, and our, President. And I mean that about all Presidents.

Unfortunately, it seems as though many events that we witness history being made are negative events: Katrina, 911, the Challenger, that it is nice to occasionally witness a positive historic event.

leightx

01-21-2009, 07:55 PM

Hey, now ;) :D; I'm a R and I was glued to the set, teary-eyed, at this momentous occasion for our country. (I do agree that the teacher sounded like a jerk, though.)

Oh, now I know why you're a little snarky when you're usually quite pleasant :) . . . so sorry you're not feeling well!! I hope you're better, and were able to enjoy the video'd inauguration. Stomach viruses are the worst. :(

:p Yeah - this guy eats with DD (they have assigned spots at lunch and she sits next to his son) and is full of the most ridiculous "insight" - that Obama isn't actually an American citizen, that he is going to make gun-ownership illegal, etc. Why he feels the need to spout this at the lunch table in front of a bunch of 4th graders I have no idea, but it really irritates me. Anyway - i guess I'm just feeling a little sensitive about the whole situation, and the fact that this guy went on and on about it at lunch really peeved me. I'm quite sure the situation would have been different if McCain's inauguration had been shown - that's all I meant by the comment about him voting for McCain. I have plenty of close friends who are Republican without being obnoxious. And I know a number of obnoxious Democrats as well. ;)

francophila

01-21-2009, 08:26 PM

I personally don't like the idea of a parent telling an educator exactly what must be presented. There are history-making event many times. Are the kids just going to watch TV all day? If I had a child, I would want them in school learning from the teacher. I would take a good guess that most (not all) of the people who really felt strongly about the Inauguration were democrats. So what about the kids of parents who are Rs? I can hardly see how the teacher is seriously not doing his/her duty ... You could certainly have DVRd this or watch it on You Tube.

missed some details earlier:

i'm a Republican and i didn't vote for him.

i said that i believe the school should have offered an opportunity to view it; hardly the same as demanding that viewing should be mandatory.

What have you done to make the inauguration accessible to your son?

had it even crossed my mind, i would checked to find out the school's policy. had i known they were choosing to overlook the opportunity, personally i would have kept him out of school. i would have gotten a group of other parents and/or kids together. it was about so much more than just the inauguration.

PurplePotato

01-22-2009, 06:51 AM

had it even crossed my mind, i would checked to find out the school's policy.

So it was that important to you yet you never thought about it before the event but the entire school should have? I really think we need to stop putting so much pressure on schools to do things better handled at home.

leightx

01-22-2009, 07:31 AM

I really don't think it's that odd to expect that most high school classrooms in the 21st century would have the resources to show a nationally televised historical moment. No matter who you voted for, an Inauguration happens only once every 4 years. This one was particularly historical due to the racial significance - I would have expected the school to tune in if a woman had been elected President as well (even if that woman were not Hillary Clinton ;) ).

I expected my kid's elementary to show the Inauguration, and I would have certainly expected the HS to watch. Of course one can watch it after the fact at home. But that isn't the same as watching it live, in a group setting, at the moment it unfolds. Nothing can replace that. Generally, historical events are cemented in people's mind as they happen, not when they watch a prerecorded snippet 12 hours later. Not to mention the fact that there are plenty that don't have access to Tivo, or an internet connection at home. And let's be honest - watching the Inauguration on Youtube or msnbc.com (which I did, since I didn't expect I'd be down for the count as it happened), just sucks. :o

I disagree that this was "better handled at home." Why wouldn't the school be the ideal place to watch and deconstruct such a momentous occasion? We expect the school to teach history and government, but not to watch as it unfolds? :confused: What a baffling mindset. It wasn't as if this was a last minute surprise - there was plenty of time to plan and coordinate an hour break to watch.

All that to say, I can understand why Francophilia is disappointed, although I too think this is something that should be addressed with the school (starting with the teacher) and not the general public. There are plenty of reasons why the teacher might not have had access to a TV, and I'd definitely give him/her the benefit of the doubt.

I just wanted to add this slightly off-topic snippet. On MLK's birthday (Jan. 15th - not the Monday it was celebrated), I arrived to school to pick up the kids and heard a man's voice coming from what sounded like a megaphone. I was totally baffled as I got closer to the school - I could barely hear it, but knew it wasn't the principal or school secretary (who is male, and occasionally makes bus announcements after school). As I got closer it hit me - they were broadcasting MLK's I Have a Dream speech over the outside speakers as the kids left the building. Many kids were standing still, listening, saying "It's MLK!" Listening to his speech over the loudspeakers, watching crowds of kids listening, brought tears to my eyes, even though I've heard it many times. What a powerful moment, and an unexpected teaching opportunity.

newtricks

01-22-2009, 07:59 AM

I expected my kid's elementary to show the Inauguration, and I would have certainly expected the HS to watch. Of course one can watch it after the fact at home. But that isn't the same as watching it live, in a group setting, at the moment it unfolds. Nothing can replace that. .

I totally agree. My kids watched it at at school at 1:30 - so not exactly live but close enough. The timing broke up the day less and allowed them to eat and go out for recess. And I guess addresses the issue of something awful happening and the kids watching it live. (((all you guys who watched the Challenger as kids)))

And Gawd, am I really the only one who remembers going to the all-purpose room to watch moon landings and space walks?!? No, not shuttle launches but the Apollo missions! :o:D

PurplePotato

01-22-2009, 08:47 AM

I disagree that this was "better handled at home." Why wouldn't the school be the ideal place to watch and deconstruct such a momentous occasion?

You know, you are right. :o

That was a poor phrase to explain what I was thinking. I guess my point is that we shouldn't assume the schools are going to cover things that may or may not fall within the normal curriculum and that if an event is happening that is important to us, then it is up to us, as parents, to make sure our child experiences it. Be it at home or by speaking with the school ahead of time. We cannot assume the school will have the same agenda and priorities that we do for our family. And since this is clearly an event that was very important to the OP, I think it was her responsibility to make sure her children experienced it, not the school's. I'm wondering if some of the anger directed at the school is being deflected off of herself for failing to make plans in advance to assure her children would experience this event?

ClaraB

01-22-2009, 12:20 PM

FWIW, there was an article in the paper here yesterday about students watching the inauguration at school. The reporter was at a local high school, and in the classroom she was in, most of the kids weren't watching the inauguration at all - they were doodling in their books :rolleyes:. So even if the school makes the inauguration available for viewing, doesn't mean the kids will watch it.

Connor's mom

01-22-2009, 01:20 PM

DS goes to private, Catholic, all-boys HS, and interestingly enough, the history teacher did not have it on, but luckily for him, his next block began at the beginning of the inauguration, and the religion teacher had the boys watch it for the full duration of the class. DS was thrilled (we are big Obama supporters). The teacher took it so seriously and wanted to ensure that the boys did the same that he made three boys who were messing around and not paying attention leave the classroom! Good for the teacher. Regardless of their (or their parents) political views, sophomore-age kids should appreciate and respect the historical significance of the event.

I assumed wherever possible, every school/teacher would have students watch it, but after reading thru this post, evidently not. How sad IMHO.

francophila

01-22-2009, 09:01 PM

So it was that important to you yet you never thought about it before the event but the entire school should have? ...

And since this is clearly an event that was very important to the OP, I think it was her responsibility to make sure her children experienced it, not the school's. I'm wondering if some of the anger directed at the school is being deflected off of herself for failing to make plans in advance to assure her children would experience this event?

i naively trusted that the school would show it as a matter of course. we all know how misleading assumptions can be, and hindsight is 20-20, etc. etc.

sure i'm mad at myself, but i wasn't displacing that onto the school. i'm separately ticked off that, as educators, they did not make this historic event a priority, especially as they are at the high school level, with students who are already voting, or will be in a few short years.

used to be that citizenship was a part of the curricula in the U.S. i guess it's really true that now it's all about teaching to the assessment tests at some schools.

kwormann

01-23-2009, 05:47 AM

I was thinking back to the two schools where I taught in Houston.

Each time, the entire grade (whether 1st or 5th) shared one small television, and there was no cable access. It would have been very fuzzy, with 100 kids in one room trying to watch one tv. I dont recall in either building any place where there was cable access.

As for internet, for 5th grade there was ONE computer in the room, at one school, and NO computer at the other, and for first grade we had 3, but I think only one had internet access.

As for teaching to testing, please remember that the major pressure to do that comes from the state legislature! They are the ones who have all but taken away time to teach social studies in elementary school (at least in TX), because it is not a tested skill. We were given 30 minutes a week at the 1st grade level for SS, to teach all the concepts that were to be learned. They tried to take away recess, but we broke the rules to fit it in!! I was lucky, I had a principal that let you teach the way you felt was best - concepts OR just to the test, but either way, your kids better pass! Most principals are not that easygoing, however. They tell each teacher exactly what to teach at exactly each minute of the day, with no wavering. Again, this comes from pressure from the state legislature.

I would investigate to see if the school has the ability to show something on TV (as the two I was at didnt), and if so, would showing it be seen as "breaking the state rules on test prep"... If so, THAT would be a good place to complain... :)

MusicMom

01-23-2009, 09:49 AM

This year, our school board moved a student holiday/teacher workday to Inauguration Day so students could have the day off to watch the ceremony. In future years, schools will be closed on Inauguration Day. Of course, we are a suburb of DC, so there were probably some families who planned to go into the city.

Our high school classes couldn't really plan any lessons around the event since it's mid-term week. Otherwise, I agree that all students should watch the ceremony. It's an important civics lessons to witness the transition of power. Why teach about the election in November and not follow-up with the result?

I think it would be more effective to communicate your thoughts to the principal. Then in four years, make sure to contact the teacher and principal beforehand to request that the students be permitted to watch it.