where young students were videotaped singing the praises of President Obama is making no apologies for the videotape and says she would allow the performance again if she could, according to [three] parents who spoke with her Thursday night….
Parent Jim Angelillo said [Principal Denise] King told him the lesson was merely part of Black History month, and not an attempt to indoctrinate students, as critics have charged….
King has long been a fan of Obama, hanging pictures of the president in her school’s hallways and touting her trip to his inauguration in the school yearbook.
Included in the full-page yearbook spread were Obama campaign slogans (“Yes we can! Yes we did!”) and photos King took in Washington on Jan. 20, when she attended the inauguration.
There also were photos taken at the school depicting students doing Obama-themed activities about their “hopes for the future,” featuring posters of Obama….
Attempts to reach King on Friday were unsuccessful….
I should stress that one should always be cautious about second-hand accounts of oral conversations; it may be that the parents misunderstood the principal, or that important context was omitted. That’s why I hope that the principal, who is after all a public servant, does indeed publicly explain her position herself.