Obama speech wasn't shown live in C. Falls

President Barack Obama's speech wasn't shown live to Columbia Falls students when it aired Tuesday.

The speech drew controversy before it even aired because originally there was a lesson plan afterwards that asked how students could help the president. The White House later dropped that lesson plan.

The way the speech was handled rankled School Superintendent Michael Nicosia. Nicosia said the text of the speech was released on noon on Labor Day, so school officials didn't have time to review it. He said the Department of Education could have released it two weeks earlier, schools could have sent home letters to parents, and there would have been little controversy.

"We couldn't guarantee what was in it and there were community members that were questioning it," he said Tuesday.

So rather than show it live, administrators decided to hold off. It will likely be shown Friday and waiver letters will be sent out this week. Nicosia said he heard from both sides. There was one parent that wanted it shown live and five or six staffers who also wanted it shown live. But parents also called and said they would pull their kids out of school.

"The Department of Education put schools in a terrible situation and we responded in a responsible manner," he said.

High School Principal Alan Robbins also noted that the school simply couldn't show the video to a large group of students. The Little Theater doesn't have an Internet connection to stream the video and the school doesn't have the bandwidth to stream it to every computer in the school.

But Robbins didn't have a problem with the president's message.

"It's a good message," he said. "I want to use it for its educational value."

The speech, among other things, urges students to take responsibility for their own actions and to stay in school. It has no discernible political slant. Other Presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush also gave speeches to schools.

"At the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed," the President said in his speech to Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.

Obama also said that students can't simply blame parents and others for their problems. He too, had problems. Grew up in a single parent home. Didn't always fit in.

"At the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home – that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying," he said.

The full text is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/