Got hope?

Yesterday I blogged about my feelings on Mr. Obama and his scheduled address to our nation's impressionable youth on September 8th. Those of you who have been reading my blog are aware that I've been sick most of this week, and this little tid bit of news was not making me feel better.

I decided this morning that I needed to call Madeline's school and ask if my child was going to be required to watch this speech which I firmly believe is a propaganda video. For some reason, our school hasn't been answering the phones since last week. It's a mystery. They're there, but no one is picking up the phone.

I don't want to bother the class room teacher and create a situation where the teacher dislikes my child because she's got the annoying mother. (I suspect this was part of our problem with the 1st grade teacher. That and the fact that the woman clearly had some serious issues to work out with herself.) So emailing the new teacher was out. I already emailed her last week asking what if anything I could do to help out with classroom supplies. (I'm a kiss-up, I'll admit it.) And, I'll be emailing her before school starts to see if I can send cupcakes in to celebrate Madeline's birthday next Friday. (Her birthday is next Saturday.) So I don't need to make a pest of myself before school even begins.

I decided to look up the principal's email address on the school website and ask her about Obama's speech. I met her at church during Madeline's First Reconciliation last February when she was the vice principal of the school. She seemed very nice and I liked that she had a son Madeline's age. I sent an email to her asking if the children would be required to watch the speech, and if so how can parents who are concerned that their children are being indoctrinated opt their child out of watching the speech without parental supervision. I expressed to her my concern that I did not feel any children should be exposed to speeches from politicians at such impressionable ages without parental consent. I hoped that I would not come across as a right-wing extremest. I don't believe that I am. Given my experience in public schools, both my own and my child's, I am well aware that most educators lean to the left. I was not hopeful that I'd receive a response from the principal, nor was I expecting one that would be favorable.

Imagine my shock when I checked my email a few minutes ago. I actually got a response from the principal. As I went to click on it, I braced myself for a response that would get the back of this feverish (101.1) mom up. I was shocked and delighted when I read a response that told me that I didn't need to worry. Our class rooms do not have access to cable, and (here's the best part) teachers were advised not to show it to the children online. Sounds like this school is not going to bend it's knee to Obama. I am very relieved. It is probably the most cheerful news I have been given in the past 4 days. Now if this fever could just break I'd be over the moon.