Education

Indoctrination? Houston Public School Assembly Slams Bush and Heaps Praise on Obama (Update: District Apologizes)

The Katherine Smith Elementary School in Houston held an assembly on Tuesday. The program — which was forwarded to Houston radio host Joe Pags — was innocently titled, “A Dream Come True – Living in the present by remembering the past and looking forward to the future.”

Houston School Assembly Sounds Like Obama Indoctrination

Image: Facebook

According to the program, the show featured three cast members — one student acting as a speaker and two as Michelle and Barack Obama, and students singing seven songs. As you might expect from the title of the show, and the image below (also from the cover page), most of the songs are a salute to civil rights heroes like Rosa Parks and Dr. Matin Luther King, Jr. But there is also considerable adoration heaped upon President Obama.

Houston School Assembly Sounds Like Obama Indoctrination

Image: Facebook

While the majority of the program might be considered to be an over-the-top tribute to President Obama, the very first song, “Feels Like Change” actually takes a shot at President Bush.

Houston School Assembly Sounds Like Obama Indoctrination

Caption: Facebook

The rest of the songs, as they were performed:

I Have A Dream – Dr. King is the complete focus of this song.

It’s A New Day – This song sounds more like something that was sung the morning after Obama’s first win in 2008.

I Believe – Another song with lyrics that seem to come from 2008 and the days leading up to and just after the election.

This One’s For You – This song is a complete tribute or salute to President Obama.

Houston School Assembly Sounds Like Obama Indoctrination

Image: Facebook

Following that Obama tribute was another song that tied the president to Rosa Parks and Dr. King.

“Rosa Sat” is quoted on the front page of the program and includes an oft-repeated refrain:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk

Martin walked so Barack could Run

Barack ran, he ran and he won

So that all our children could fly.

Those words are repeated six times during the song. But there are some other verses that have raised eyebrows from parents:

Thousands of people that November night.

All of us here were for the long fight.

Now we’re as one,

Creating a new nation.

Join together in celebration.

By having students sing “all of us here were for the long fight” assumes that 100% of the children were supporters of the president. Were they? Additionally, some parents have asked about the line saying, “Now we’re as one, creating a new nation.”

TheBlaze has contacted the Katherine Smith Elementary School several times, requesting an interview with Principal Salazar.  As of this writing, Ms. Salazar has not responded to this request. We have also asked Terry Greer, the Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District to comment on the topic.

As this story was going to press, we received the following response from Superintendent Greer’s spokesperson.

The song lyrics you received were used as part of an after-school PTO program celebrating Black History Month at the school.  Students who participated had signed permission slips from their parents to participate in this after-school event.  They danced to the music, but did not sing or otherwise recite the lyrics.  Copies of the lyrics were given to the parents, but not the students.   This program was organized by three first-year teachers, who mistakenly failed to get the principal’s approval to distribute the song lyrics.  After reviewing the lyrics, the principal agrees that some of the songs were overly political and should not have been included in the program.  The teachers who coordinated the program have been reminded that materials such as this must receive prior approval by the principal in the future.  The principal apologizes to those who may have been offended by some of the lyrics that were included in the PTO program.

How do you feel about the program?

 

(H/T: Joe Pags Show)

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Comments (191)

  • Just_Us2
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:59pm

    This is like Jewish children celebrating going to the gas chamber. If these people want to embrace the policies that harm them exponentially more than others then who are we to complain? They reject the very culture that can save them and bring them prosperity. If they are content with cutting my grass and cleaning up the office after I am gone for the day then I am fine with that. The world needs ditch diggers and if this makes them a happy ditch digger, so be it. I won’t stand in the way.

    Report this comment

    Just_Us2  
  • barber2
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:59pm

    Dio you know what is being taught in your city schools ? Have a feeling many of us would be shocked at the curriculum. Maybe we need to reclaim the curriculum. Civics anyone ?

    Report this comment

    barber2  
  • Abigail Adams
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:56pm

    Black History is American History and it’s divisive to celebrate Black History seperately instead of including them in standard American History.
    Celebrating Black History seperately leads to things like this – a school program that solely praising the President. That shouldn’t happen for any one President.

    Report this comment

    Abigail Adams  
  • canadianlady
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:54pm

    Why, in America, is it perfectly acceptable for teachers to politically indoctrinate children, but not for the same child to wear a T-shirt that says “I believe in Jesus?” That they’re not in the streets demanding justice, Christians are going to have a lot to answer for on judgment day.

    Report this comment

    canadianlady  
  • petemg
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:52pm

    If they want to play on Obama’s being Black why don’t they reveal to the children that actually he is Mulatto half Black half White. Not a true Black.
    How about if the teacher tells the children how the original Black slave started. How as in many nations the one tribe fought against another tribe in Africa. How the conquering tribe in Africa sold the captive people to others and they ended up being sold to the Whites. If this person wants to get down to facts bring out all of the facts.
    I can appreciate a Black or any other peoples are proud of their heritage but they do something about it in a more constructive way. How these same discriminated people get an education and then a job and later creating their own business. I was born and raised on welfare. Welfare at that time gave out commodities and gave away NO free lunches. But I as many have done got up on my own two feet and made something of myself. These children do not have to grow up with a crutch of having the ethnic background they have. They need to be proud of who they are and not their skin color.

    Report this comment

    petemg  
  • thibx
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:43pm

    i bet she is union. stupid teacher.

    Report this comment

    thibx  
  • John.Galt
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:42pm

    No worries, change is coming!

    Yes, skyrocketing food and energy prices! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
    Shortages of doctors! THANK YOU PRESIDENTOBAMA!
    Mass starvation! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
    No jobs! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
    Power outages! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
    Crashing dollar! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!
    Cities burning! THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA!

    YES, CHANGE IS HARD… ITS NOT ALWAYS GOOD THOUGH, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE GOVT!

    SO YOU LIB-TARDS, WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, AND DON’T KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO FEED YOUR FAMILY, AND YOU DO THE DESPARATE THING – BREAKING AND ENTERING TO STEAL SOME FOOD… BANG! BANG! BANG! YOU ARE NOW DEAD, AND YOUR FAMILY WILL SOON FOLLOW!

    ENJOY YOUR STARVATION! EMBRACE IT LIKE YOU EMBRACE OBAMA! YOU ARE CHEERING FOR IT NOW, SO ENJOY IT WHEN IT COMES!

    Report this comment

    John.Galt  
  • matamoros
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:40pm

    Just this past Sunday, Feb. 24, there was a full page ad in the Valley Morning Star (and I’m sure all other major Tx newspapers) by the leftist teacher organization, texaschoolsfirst.org, to try to sway people against school vouchers, where monies follow the students, even into private schools. They’re running scared, because the last thing they want is competition. They know parents would be pulling their children out in droves from these indoctrination campus.

    This o’bozo adoration fest is exactly the kind of crap that would lead a parent to a private school, or home schooling. Schools have now implemented additional leftist policies such as forcing my children into “community service”, under the very real threat of not allowing them to graduate, unless they have completed the requisite 150hours of “volunteer” work.

    Now these educated idiots have come up with another brillant concept, called “flipping the classroom”, where kids now have to study online resources from home (such as Youtube, Khan’s Academy, etc) and quiz on them the next day, in the classroom.

    What the heck are we paying teachers for??? and exactly when our my kids going to have any time to just be kids??? what about play? climbing trees? running around?? Kids can’t even run around at school anymore without being labeled unruly or diagnosed with some kind of attention deficit disorder.

    My goodness!!! I’m so ready for another alternative to public schools … and I actuall

    Report this comment

    matamoros  
  • Beachmastermax
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:38pm

    Can’t read, can’t write, can’t multiply, just indoctrinated.
    Permanent slave class to the Democrat machine.

    Report this comment

    Beachmastermax  
  • PZWLB
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:37pm

    I’d like to see a public school in a RED area direct an anti-Obama program. That way we can learn what’s “right” from the liberals when they completely freak out.

    Report this comment

    PZWLB  
  • Fitzzz
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:37pm

    I know I’M not the first one to see similarities here with Hitler and Nazi Germany
    Instead of going after the Jews for causing all the problems, here we have them going after the Republicans for the problems

    Report this comment

    Fitzzz  
  • bumfuzeled
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:35pm

    Could we please see a picture of the staff and students, just to put my prejudicial mind at ease?

    Report this comment

    bumfuzeled  
  • RoDogg
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:32pm

    I guess I’ll be the only one to ask….. what does David Barton think of this?

    I believe he is on the Texas board of education? Correct me if I’m wrong, but he has been there trying to correct our textbooks etc from all the misleadings about history from decades of progressives etching away at the truth.

    Report this comment

    RoDogg  
  • OniKaze
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:29pm

    I would only approve of those lyrics if they also added some lyrics talking about:

    1. Obama continuing the ruination of OUR NATION…
    2. Obama’s authorizing of rounding up / exterminating U.S. Citizens….
    3. Obama’s constant lying about ohh…. EVERYTHING..
    4. How Obama furthered the race divide since day 1 in office…

    You know… Stuff like that… THEN I would be okay with the rest of the poorly written garbage…

    Seriously, who wrote those lyrics.. They are too complex for children to have written, and FAR too stupid to have been written by an intelligent adult… So I ask…. Who wrote this??

    Report this comment

    OniKaze  
  • LakeHartwellSailor
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:27pm

    Wait, is this a story about North Korea?

    Report this comment

    LakeHartwellSailor  
  • NewCreationDave
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:26pm

    What the ever-luvin has the public school system become???!!! Rescue your children before it’s too late!

    Report this comment

    NewCreationDave  
  • Yaya2
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:21pm

    Parents, just one more reason to get your kids out of public school!! It is nothing short of indoctrination and it will only get worse. They start when children are small and fill their minds with these lies and the children often come from homes where this is reinforced…

    Report this comment

    Yaya2  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:19pm

    .
    They should bulldoze that place to the ground……

    Inorder to save the children……

    Report this comment

    SpankDaMonkey  
  • Sharon Rose
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:16pm

    Parents, get involved, it might already be too late to save our kids.

    Report this comment

    Sharon Rose  
  • Patriot Z
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:16pm

    im in the air on this..its a lot of half and half…i do think they can salute the first black pres. but they can do it in a positive way without the racist bush insults and without making like a nazi chant.

    Report this comment

    Patriot Z  
  • Moliminous
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:11pm

    Notice the blame game and CMA by the Superintendent: this was an “after-school PTO program”. In other words, it wasn’t held during “official” school hours, so we’re all free from review. Not true. If the event happens on school property, it has school sanction. If the only folks involved are employees of the school, then the school and district have responsibility for its contents. This is a flagrant abuse of a government agency (school) to promote politics. Secretary of Health Sebelius would feel right at home. Nevertheless, this is not just illegal… it’s wrong.

    Report this comment

    Moliminous  
  • vigibill
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:10pm

    “Heil Obama!” is coming. Wake up, people!

    Report this comment

    vigibill  
  • wildwop
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:08pm

    two words HOME SCHOOL!!

    Report this comment

    wildwop  
  • FlagWavingPatriot
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:08pm

    Pure indoctrination.

    The school is full of minorities and it’s the school’s mission to ensure these kids know they’re victims of evil rich white men. It’s also the school’s mission to ensure these kids grow up to be good little democrats so they can reap the rewards of others’ hard labor. Keep Santa in power and Santa will keep delivering gifts for votes.

    Barry has done nothing to improve this nation. He has divided it and prevented an economic recovery because he hates America. Nobody in the minority communities can possibly argue Barry has made conditions better for them. All they know is skin color. Like MLK said, “…that one day my daughters will be judged by the color of their skin, not the content of their character”, right?

    Barry and this school have about as much in common with MLK as Joe Biden does with MENSA.

    Report this comment

    FlagWavingPatriot  
  • TheEDGE
    Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:06pm

    Hey Texas! Don’t look now but, YOU’RE BEING MESSED WITH!

    Report this comment

    TheEDGE  
    • OniKaze
      Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:31pm

      Totally….

      And by the way, is that a Thomas Wilson “Biff” screenshot as your tag Photo?

      Report this comment

      OniKaze  

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