Schools Not Planning to Show Obama Address

The Westfield public schools have no plans to show President Barack Obama's education address when the schools open on Wednesday morning.

Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan said that since the schools were not open on Tuesday, when Obama gave the speech to the nation's school children, there are no plans to show it later this week. She said she anticipates that many students will have already watched the speech on Tuesday at home with their families. Dolan said it is possible that individual teachers may show the speech in their classes down the road.

"The only way it will be shown is if it fits in the curriculum as part of a lesson," she said.

The president's opening of school remarks have generated controversy nationally as conservative groups accuse him of trying to sway America's schoolchildren into his line of thinking. A sample lesson plan issued by the U.S. Department of Education on how students can work with the speech has contributed to the controversy. In New Caanan, Conn., the local Republican Party has attacked the speech calling on the schools to not show the address.

Dolan said she has read Obama's remarks and she has no problem with the president's message. This is the first time a president has delivered a back to school address to the nation since President George H.W. Bush gave one in 1991.

"(The speech) talked about how important education is, how we educators have a role to play and how parents have a responsibility and how students have a responsibility," Dolan said. "It's a good reminder about how we all have jobs to do."