By Juliette Jardim
September 14, 2009

President Barack Obama addressed the nation’s students September 8 on the importance of academics and urged them to take responsibility for their own education and success. The speech, which coincided with the first day of school, generated controversy during the week prior to the President’s address as parents and pundits debated for days about whether it was an inappropriate political intrusion into schools. Some parents threatened to keep their children out of school if teachers insisted on broadcasting the speech during class.

To assuage parental concerns and emphasize the speech’s apolitical character, President Obama released the text of the speech on-line over the Labor Day weekend.

The primary complaint was over a lesson plan provided by the Department of Education to accompany the President’s message, which initially included a question on how students could “help the President.” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan admitted the plan could have been better worded and changed the language to instead urge students to outline their education goals. Still, many schools did not show the speech live and permitted optional viewing.

During the speech, Obama briefly mentioned the government’s role in education, primarily referring to previous addresses on education, while emphasizing the need to ensure that all elements in a student’s education are exceptional, including parental support, teacher quality and government legislation.

“I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve,” he said.

President Obama then primarily focused on the role students play in their own education saying, “And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.”

The President referenced his own experience growing up without a father, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama’s struggles as part of the first generation in her family to attend college, in an effort to inspire other struggling students to persevere despite their personal setbacks.

“Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future,” he said.

The President also highlighted several students who have excelled in education despite numerous impediments throughout their education.

The speech took a patriotic turn when Obama highlighted the importance of each student’s future to the country’s future. “What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future,” he stated.

Obama concluded his speech saying, “The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.”