A presidential speech that is slated for next week is causing a stir in Kern County.
The White House and the Department of Education are encouraging schools across the country to show President Obama's live address to school children on Tuesday, but conservative blogs and talk show hosts are urging parents to keep their kids home from school and boycott the address.
The White House says the speech will focus on education and encourage students to stay in school, but most local schools are not allowing students to watch the presidential address live because of the swirling controversy.
"We're very careful about who we have address our students," Superintendent of Norris School District Wallace McCormick said. "Instructional time is sacred."
Richard Pierucci is Curriculum Director for Norris School District. He says timing is also an issue.
"They're giving a specific time, place and day," Pierucci says. "Anytime we're moving something into that specific time, place or day, we are moving something else out."
Norris isn't the only school using caution with the address. Several area schools say President Obama's speech will be recorded and viewed after the school board approves it. However, parents argue it's been done before.
"Past presidents have done it before and no one has said anything about it," Severa Chacon said. "Why should Obama be any different?"
In 1998, President Ronald Reagan spoke to students using C-SPAN, and in 1991 President George H.W. Bush gave a nationally televised back to school address.
George W. Bush even came to Bakersfield while running for president in 1999 and spoke at a school about politics. The Superintendent of Norris School District says Obama's speech is different.
"The fact that a president would come here, that would be something where the kids would say 'I saw the president.' But that's not what this is," Wallace explained. "This is addressing students."
Sixth grade teacher Erin Chapman says parents fear the current president may bring politics into the classroom.
"Fear spreads like wildfire," Chapman said. "And people do have a fear of the unknown. And is this going to be a president that gets up and spews socialist agenda to our children?."
Herb Dean says conservative commentators convinced him to boycott the address.
"It reminds me of things in the past that I don't like," Dean said. "When you have a leader come on and kids of that age are forced to listen to that, it just doesn't sit right in my brain."
However, most area schools, including Rosedale Union School District and Bakersfield City School District, say the speech could be shown at a later time if the school board approves.
