Thomas says district not equipped to broadcast Obama speech

By Robin Mero

Posted: September 7, 2009 at 8:34 p.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — It's impossible logistically to show President Obama's speech live to all children in the Fayetteville School District on Tuesday, Superintendent Vicki Thomas said in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Thomas took sole responsibility for a decision to make the speech available but not provide a schoolwide viewing. She called the press conference after receiving a flurry of criticism by e-mail, telephone and the Internet.

"The Fayetteville School District will not deny students access to President Obama's speech, just as we do not restrict access to appropriate books and other materials," Thomas said.

The president will give a speech that will be televised nationwide at 11 a.m. Tuesday. According to whitehouse.gov, he will urge America's students to take responsibility for their education. The full text of his speech is available on that Web site, as are resource materials for teachers to stimulate discussion about the importance of education.

The decision for the Fayetteville School District to show the speech but not make sure it is broadcast live to all students was not based on issues of politics or censorship, Thomas said. Teachers will be strongly encouraged to show the speech, and in some schools it will be made available in larger areas, such as libraries.

Parents who don't want their children to see the speech must send a note to school this morning. The district will also make a link to the speech available on its Web site and broadcast it on Channel 14 for families without Internet access.

Thomas said some classrooms don't have televisions, some students are in lunch at 11 a.m., and the district wasn't given enough time to prepare for a districtwide broadcast. She said she learned of the speech late Friday.

A group of outspoken Fayetteville residents attended the press conference, some with children in tow, most apparently angered by the decision and saying they heard of the event days or weeks before Friday.

"You have school assemblies, pep rallies. Why was this not something you organized? This is a great opportunity, a historic moment," said Lee Ann Kendrick, whose youngest daughter just graduated from the high school.

"This is common sense. ... This is the president. It's a speech; it's not a show. ... Put a microphone up to the radio and broadcast it over the PA system," Tom Sawyer said.

State Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, objected to a "lack of openness on this issue. It's an accident we found out about this [press conference]. Over the weekend, I tried to reach board members and only reached one," she said.

All students viewed the presidential inauguration, parents said.

Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan received many messages over the holiday weekend about the broadcast, most from residents wanting to ensure students hear the speech. Many such messages were posted on the mayor's Facebook page, and he spoke with Thomas to share the feedback.

"Most of the concerns I saw were from people who felt that speech should be shown. I think the president's speech should be shown to those who want to see it, and I think [Vicki Thomas has] done a great job in making sure students who want to see it are able to," Jordan said.

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