President Obama spoke to students across the nation today in a controversial school speech. You may watch the full video in the player below as well as see photos from the speech in the accompanying slideshow. Politics weren’t on the President’s agenda today. The bulk of the President’s message was focused on children developing their talents and intellect so that they will be adequately prepared to lead the next generation.


Many schools across the nation chose not to show the speech, and earlier today, the Associated Press reported that a small group of protestors stood outside of Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia to picket. Some principals who chose not to show the President’s school speech stated that they felt the speech was simply too divisive. With a great number of conservative parents and Republicans objecting to the speech and fearing that suggested lesson plans would indoctrinate students, the controversy is far from over.


An interesting fact that CNN reported earlier today, was that many of the schools that didn’t air the school speech were in districts that supported John McCain during the elections. Though that shouldn’t come as any surprise, it does shed light that the debate may not have been focused solely on the lesson plan that was subsequently reworded, but rather on the speech being delivered by President Obama himself.

Strange, but it used to be that people respected the President, as well as his office. If the President was invited to come to these schools, would they open the doors and let him in?
There used to be a time when children were excited to have the President come to their school. Undoubtedly, the children at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia were more than welcoming to President Obama and his speech.