School Children Taught to Sing Praises to Obama To the Tune of “The Battle hymn of The Republic” – Political ideology in The Classroom - Analysis

A video on YouTube has generated more than a bit of controversy over the past day or two: children from a New Jersey School singing praises to President Obama. The debate focuses on the appropriateness of teaching young children to sing praises to any sitting president; and if the lyrics are politically motivated. The fact that progressive political activists supporting Obama have used children in the campaign went fairly unnoticed (video’s below), and if anything was printed or broadcast, it was related to comparisons between those children and children who were used by political figures of the past (i.e. Hitler Youth Group), this, however, is being viewed as political indoctrination via the public school system – which is, in a word, ridiculous. Ridiculous because the President of the United States, regardless of accomplishments, should be “lionized” as an individual who is somehow on a pedestal above the rest of the population. The fact that the Presidency is a temporary office to which the people, by majority, hire to do a job – the position also has evolved to mean that the sitting President is the titular “head” of a political party – the rub. On the face of it, the particular lyrics may be argued, specifically the “equal work for equal pay”, which, most probably should have been “equal pay for equal work”, an obvious error on the part of the lyricist. Women in this country understand that they are still earning less than their male counterparts in most instances – that said, someone should have caught the this mistake.

What is most disturbing is the tune to which the song is set: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. To those of any religious affiliation (or non-affiliation) in the United States, the concept of religion in the classroom has become, in itself, either a question of the separation of church and state (vis a vis the Constitution), and/or, the infringement on religious freedom (again guaranteed by the same document). The Battle Hymn of the Republic, a religious song most often associated with American holidays regarding Veteran’s, is sung in churches nationwide – the fact that the lyrics of a song, praising one president, to this particular tune (God aiding soldiers on the battlefield) is a mockery of the faith of many citizens of the nation, as well as a mockery of those who served this nation without regard to personal loss.

What would be appropriate (for those who are focused on the racism that exists in the world today) would be a little ditty praising the American People for electing Obama to the office in the first place. In reality, his presidency is too new, without the burden of any attacks on our nation’s soil, to have a history of achievement. The fact that the nation is embroiled in a disastrous economic cycle, and Obama happens to be trying to lead us out of it (this is also open to debate, but that is a political and economic debate, but, to date, there is no evidence that this has happened. It is the political ideology of those who run the school systems in this nation (progressive socialists) that should be called into question – a generic song singing the praises of all presidents, and/or a song specifically praising the American Citizenry for seeing past color (and hopefully, one day, gender) would have been appropriate and there would be no concern from any segment of the population – but this is of concern, given the nature of the lyrics, the tune to which these lyrics were set, the nature of the office of the Presidency and the nature of the setting. One cannot, for a moment, believe that this is an isolated incident, given the pervasiveness of progressive socialists in the school systems (from the University level down to pre-school) – it is, most likely, being sung throughout the nation.

Therefore, the President, himself, should perhaps make a statement regarding the flattering, yet totally inappropriate use of his name in this instance. Is it the fault of President Obama that children are being taught, by rote, to praise him in this regards? The answer is, equivocally, no. He may not even be aware that this has taken place, given the burden of the Office (see financial disaster, and aggressive progressive programs that the President is trying to put into place) – but once made aware, the problems should be addressed, not necessarily by the President himself, rather one of his staff, most appropriate the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan It must be, to anyone who understands the Office, an embarrassment, as so many great men, who achieved so much over a span of 8 to 12 years, were not lauded in this manner and no man (or someday woman – when the nation reaches that level of enlightenment) should be placed above another who held that citizen driven office – respect is due the Presidency – accomplishments, once they occur belong to the historians and should be taught in the proper classroom – history (or as it has now evolved: social studies).

There is a commonality between all videos, parents and or mentors (teachers) have taught their children (or charges) by rote, a song praising a political figure. It should be noted that political ideology that has been taken to this extreme, regardless of affiliation or party, is beyond normal levels of admiration – what should have been taken into consideration by those who involved their children (or were in charge of involving the children of others) is the fact that in 4 years or 8 years this man will no longer be the President, and should these “great” (vague) accomplishments not occur – those children will be left with a hearty case of disrespect for the office and, disrespect for those foolish enough to laud one man, over many. Politics is a sport to many, to many it is a duty, but to some in this nation, it is a moral imperative and therein lays the danger – to our nation, and in these instances to our nations children.

Lyrics to Battle Hymn of the Republic
The Lyrics to video NJ School:

Lyrics
========
Song 1:
Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said that we must take a stand
To make sure everyone gets a chance
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said red, yellow, black or white
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

Yes!
Mmm, mmm, mm
Barack Hussein Obama

Song 2:
Hello, Mr. President we honor you today!
For all your great accomplishments, we all doth say "hooray!"

Hooray, Mr. President! You're number one!
The first black American to lead this great nation!

Hooray, Mr. President we honor your great plans
To make this country's economy number one again!

Hooray Mr. President, we're really proud of you!
And we stand for all Americans under the great Red, White, and Blue!

So continue ---- Mr. President we know you'll do the trick
So here's a hearty hip-hooray ----

Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!
Hip, hip hooray!

Video of School Children at B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, NJ


During the campaign 2008, video of Obama Step Team


Children during the Campaign singing Obama Praise Song


Link to video of 4 year old singing Obama Praise song – embed feature removed by the parent

Teachers Union Breaks with Obama on Education Plan – NEA complains over less than .005 percent of education budget boost to Charter Schools

The AP is reporting that the NEA (National Education Association) is at odds with the President’s stance on Education. The Progressive Teachers Union, which is one of the largest donors to the Democrat Party, is particularly annoyed with Obama’s stance on Standardized Testing, and Charter Schools. More specifically, the Stimulus allows $5 Billion dollars in grants under Obama’s “Race To the Top” program, which, among other things, pays Charter School teachers (who do not have to join a union) based on performance. Additionally, this plan blocks interference from individual States that do not allow the use test scores to determine a teacher’s performance.

This is one for Obama - No kidding. The hold that the two Teacher’s Union’s currently running the U.S. educational system has on the nation’s public non-charter school teachers, is what has driven down the quality of education in the nation and contributed to the sub-standard quality of education in all schools, regardless of locale. The need for the unionization of teachers is questionable in the first place. Teachers are degreed professionals, who should be able to negotiate individual contracts upon hire by any given district, and be compensated based on performance, and summarily dismissed when performance is sub-standard, and or actions by teachers are questionable (to say the least). Currently, teachers who, for example, are arrested on drug charges, are protected by the union and cities are forced to reinstate that sub-standard teacher. If teachers, as professionals, were able to compete based upon performance, their salaries would increase, as well as the students overall performance, while the individual municipalities would be able to afford better teachers, as they would not be forced to carry Union deadwood.

Just a thought, but while Reagan had the opportunity after breaking the Air Traffic Controllers Union back in the 1980’s, he could have taken it a step further and disbanded any union that negotiated for individuals who worked outside of the blue collar arena.

The original intent of Unions – protect blue collar workers against dangerous workplaces, and negotiate for pensions and benefits was noble and necessary – see Triangle Factory Fire as a specific example of why Unions were needed at the time (notice the past tense). We now have Federal Laws that negate the need for the union in regards to pay (minimum wage), and safety (OSHA). Further, in a free market society, if one is not happy with their place of employment – and they are competent, they are free to go elsewhere should the pay/benefits not be to standard. Those that are Degreed are another story - There is a huge difference between someone with at minimum, a Bachelors degree, or more likely a Masters, “enjoying” freedom to be incompetent on the states dime – solely because they are protected by a union – while those who hold the same credentials and excel are held back – by the same union. Therefore, there should be federal regulations in place regarding unions (shoe on the other foot) being limited to forming soley when, and if, a workplace is hazardous and/or substandard, and those workers are not holding a four year or higher college degree.

Understanding that, once noble institutions have since grown into nothing more than large fundraising arms,(lobbyists) guided by power hungry corporate-like structures and officers. Ultimately the focus has nothing to do with protecting a worker, rather, more to do with taking a portion of the workers’ wages, to put back into the “union-corporation.” (Not to mention dictating to the union member how to vote, an infringement on one’s basic liberties.) Disband unions and watch the nation flourish.

Obama’s portion of the Stimulus that deals with Charter schools and separates them from the Union is a step in the right direction. His Choice of Arne Duncan, as Education Secretary, was one choice that may have ticked of the NEA and Company, but may prove to be a good choice for the nation’s education system as a whole. What one might have trouble believing is that a politician, at any level, specifically a Democrat would take on the NEA, without giving some concessions - that said, stranger things have happened. The facts are that this particular funding, represents a small portion of the overall education budget, , in fact, education spending under the Bush Administration, (here comes the politics) grew 34% in his 8 years in office. The total budget in 2007-2008 for education K-12 spending was $667 Billion, therefore, the $4 billion going to charter schools is an extremely small portion. It does give Charter schools a chance and further, it is a thorn in the side of the teachers union, as any power lost is a problem to those who fund the DNC. (Both The NEA and the AFT donate exclusively to the DNC (Source: Open Secrets.org) To read a synopsis of program go to DFER.org Democrats for Education Reform

Note: percentage of budget to charter schools: based upon 667 billion budget versus 4 billion to this program =.00599 percent.

Obama and Arne Duncan – It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood ?

Barack Obama chose friend and neighbor, Arne Duncan to fill the post of Education Secretary yesterday - to mixed reviews. Duncan, a reformer, is receiving raves from the right and cautious “acceptance from the teachers unions”.. His philosophy on managing the Chicago schools is similar to that of Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, in his 10plus years of Governor of the state of Arkansas, introduced sweeping reforms in education:

Arkansas' ACTAAP system is widely hailed as one of the nation's best school accountability programs. Huckabee has pushed through reforms in Arkansas that have significantly expanded the availability of college scholarships, increased the number of charter schools and established new approaches to workforce education.

It goes without saying that Huckabee had his share of problems with the Teachers Union, and so has Duncan:
from “Substance News”, an organization defining itself as “Defending The Public Schools for over 30 years”:

Duncan attacks union schools, Stewart signs “solidarity” letter to Duncan

The most dramatic weakening of the union became evident in December 2007. Immediately prior to the December Chicago Board of Education meeting, Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan announced that he was going to close or reorganize somewhere between 147 and 175 schools because of what he called “underutilization.”

Despite widespread demands to know both the criteria for “underutilization” and the names of the schools, Duncan ignored the facts, kept the lists secret, and allowed the system’s 48,000 workers to go into the Christmas holidays with huge questions about their futures. For four weeks, speculation in the schools and on blogs that discussed CPS business ran wild. More than 100 separate bloggers posted to the largest CPS blog (District299.com) between the day of the Board of Education meeting and the beginning of the new year. But while teachers and other staff working in the schools were left to wonder whether their holiday presents would include the loss of their jobs, as had taken place when the school financial crisis had been declared in November and December 1979, the leaders of the CTU were mired in what even their own supporters have called “massive office politics.” During the Christmas holidays of 2007, union members across Chicago were worrying about whether their schools would be closed. They didn’t hear from their union, but Arne Duncan did. Marilyn Stewart was very busy. She was securing her position as “Chief Executive Officer” of the Chicago Teachers Union, beginning a purge of her own ranks, writing an unprecedented letter to the chief of the school system —completely ignoring the looming attack on the union’s 31,000 members embodied in the “underutilization” claims of Arne Duncan. In December 2007, Stewart issued two remarkable documents (both reprinted in this issue of Substance). Neither of them dealt with the crisis approaching for the union’s members. One was dramatically friendly to CEO Arne Duncan, the boss who was planning to destroy the jobs and careers of hundreds of CTU members this school year and more in years to come, while even more dramatically hostile to one of the elected leaders of her own union. The other revealed more between the lines than it admitted in print. One came out the week before Christmas, the second the day after Christmas. Neither has been publicly acknowledged by the union itself, but the authenticity of both have been verified to Substance by union officials and to blog leader. On December 17, Stewart circulated a memo to union staff entitled “Changes in Day-to-Day Operations of the Administrative Office.” A complete copy of that memo is reprinted on Page Eight of this Substance.

That said, Duncan’s coming out of Chicago as a reformer, which, given the history of Chicago in general, that’s one serious accomplishment.

It is no wonder then, that some on the right are applauding Obama’s latest cabinet choice. For many, the role of educator has been defined for the past forty years as Union member first, educator second. A case in point from the recent article at Aaron Proctor’s blog:” 25 Wrongs Don’t Make A Right”. Proctor minces no words when describing the state of the Philadelphia School System and 25 teachers who recently participated in the “Call Out Gay” day to protest California’s proposition 8, (which was heavily supported by the teachers unions to the tune of $1,000,000) - thereby placing the union’s agenda above the needs of their students. Again, that is just one story, in one school district, in one state – however, similar stories, different issues and different agenda’s, can be found across the country – It is not the public school system per se, that needs reform, it is that the teacher’s union needs to take a more active role in education, rather than political agenda’s.

This is the second cabinet choice that has made this moderate conservative feel more secure with the incoming administration. (Clinton as Secretary of State was the first – she had a stellar national defense record in her tenure in the Senate). So much for neighborhood associations - for all intents and purpose, Duncan appears to be Ayers polar opposite. Great call on the part of Mr. Obama – one has to give credit where credit is due.