Oct 19, 2012
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More than 250 teachers and students of a public charter middle school in Rhode Island spent Thursday at a political rally for President Obama – leading some Republicans to wonder why the kids weren’t taken to a Mitt Romney rally, too.
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The Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy rented coach buses as well as school buses to travel more than two hours to New Hampshire where the president addressed his supporters on Thursday.
“Whether you are a supporter of President Obama or not, the opportunity to hear the President of the United States speak in person is truly an extraordinary one,” Head of School Joy Souza told the Providence Journal.
At least one teacher was left behind at the academy to supervise around 20 students who chose not to attend. They also had to do class work related to the presidential campaign and American politics. It’s unclear what education activities the students at the Obama rally were required to perform.
The school has not en masse attended a Mitt Romney political campaign, sources at the school told Fox News.
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A spokesman for the Rhode Island Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education told Fox News it wasn’t their place to comment about young children being pulled out of school for a Democratic political rally. The spokesman said they don’t police field trips.
One of the school’s teachers had been invited to perform at the Obama rally, but those plans changed and the teacher did not perform.
State Rep. Doreen Costa, a Republican, told Fox News if that band teacher’s performance was cancelled, the school should have cancelled the field trip.
“It’s hypocritical,” Costa said. “You’re taking them to an Obama rally but you’re not taking them to a Mitt Romney rally?”
Costa said the Romney campaign has held several rallies in New Hampshire and she finds it odd that the school hasn’t scheduled a field trip to take kids to a Republican gathering.
“Let the kids make their own decisions – it shouldn’t be forced on any child,” she said.
Maybe the solution, she wondered, could have been to send half the school to an Obama rally and the other half to a Romney rally.
“Then they could have come back and compared notes and it would have been a great history project,” she said.
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As a parent of a student who attends this school and also I allowed to attend this trip feel you need to get your facts straight. The school was invited to a once in a lifetime opportunity to see their teacher perform amd also see the current President speak. BVP sent out permission slips to every family and it was the parents choice to allow their child to attend. My political views had no influence on allowing my child to experience something most 10 year olds will never get to experience. So before you judge an amazing school realize it was the parents choice to let their child attend.
I was just made aware about this blog. I agree with most of you, However I as a mother of one of the scholars that attended this really and a Republican conservative, have to agree with one of the bloggers here, My son had the chance to go meet the president, and I as a mother had the choice to let him go or not. He really wanted to go I let him go despite my views on the president's policys and record these past four years that I stronglly disaprove of. I felt that my son should experiance the opportunity that was givin to him.He may not have that opportunity again or at least for a long time. Just to let you all know he was not to impressed with the whole thing, he said it was to loud people were screeming 4 more years and they cound't hear the president speek he is not a suporter like his parents, it kind of defeeted the purpose of them going. Our little state is very liberal our school is very liberal people give me looks when I say I am conservative when I say I ike foxnews. I don't really care what they think. One thing I can say is this school is giving my soon an excelent education and that is key. I teach my son about politics we listen to talk radio and he like's it. I belive what a child's core values will be as they grow up begins at home what you teach them how we as parents explain both sides and let them make the choice but teaching them about choices. I also don't believe a field trip is ever going to shape any 11 , 12 or 13 year old kid to become Democrat or Republican.It begins at home and with life long experiances and knowlege and know how to diferentiate the the 2. I for One will keep note if Governor Romney Wins the Presidency and in 4 years he comes to NH I will be the first to ask are we going to see the president this time? unfortunatlly I don't think they will. Also I know that the school did not mean it for it to become political they saw it as an oportunity for the scholars to experience. We Love our Principal the scholars love her as well, and I know she never intended for it to be such a discussion she meant well.
Not right at all! Listen folks all it takes to vote is common sense… Think what your children are going to be face with! That's is my main concern… We are self employed paying out of our ass on heath insurance which by the president Obama has gone up twice this year…. All we want to do is live the American dream and for our children too… I am voting for Romney!
Taking young kids out of school and traveling 2 hours by bus to a campaign rally is inappropriate… In the past 60 years Presidents have travelled to just about every state to make non-campaign 'campaign' speeches…. Face it, ALL presidential speeches ARE campaign speeches, no matter when or where given.
Indoctination by any other name remains indoctrination!
You know the sad thing about it, if Obama is re-elected these kids will really suffer.