SALT LAKE CITY — Discussion surrounding President Obama's "back to school" speech to the nation's public school students next week has been temperate, a contrast to the controversy that surrounded the address last year.
Parents nationwide were concerned the president would use his airtime during the school day as a political platform, and took issue with the federal Education Department's suggestion that children write themselves letters about ways they could help the president — an activity the department eventually changed. Some districts chose not to air the program.
But after Obama's counsel proved benign, focusing on studying hard and avoiding drugs, it seems there's less concern approaching this year's Sept. 14 address.
"We have heard almost nothing," Alpine School District spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley said of the concern. "Last year at this time … all we were doing was fielding phone calls."
Some districts are leaving the decision of whether to watch the broadcast live, delayed, or at all, up to individual principals rather than make a district-wide policy.
Alpine, Jordan and Salt Lake are making alternative arrangements for students whose parents don't want their children to listen to the speech — but the effort is similar to what they already do for activities like field trips. They're sending letters or e-mails to parents so they can opt out.
"Parents always have the right to opt out of something like that," said district spokesman Steve Dunham. "This is not something mandated by curriculum. … It's something that's offered as an opportunity."
Alternately, administrators in Alpine are specifying that if a student's parents want their child to see the program, but the child's class isn't watching it, accommodations be made so they can view it in another class.
A main complaint from last year's speech was that schools didn't have much notification that the president would be speaking, and some teachers had already prepared their curriculum and didn't want to work it into their lesson plans. Several schools in Jordan district didn't show the broadcast last year, but that had more to do with logistics than politics.
Dave Hansen, chair of the Utah Republican Party, said his organization doesn't have an official stance on the matter, but on an individual level, he doesn't see a problem with the address.
"Personally, I think it's fine that the president speaks to school kids," Hansen said. "But at the same time, if parents and individuals, for whatever reason they choose, choose not to listen to it, that should be their right as well."
e-mail: mfarmer@desnews.com