White House Commencement Challenge, no one seems to care?

This is funny, I'll start with the the White House Propaganda Blog

One Week Left to Apply for the Commencement Challenge Posted by Katelyn Sabochik on March 04, 2011 at 12:30 PM EST


The deadline for the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge is just one week away! One lucky high school will have President Obama as a commencement speaker this spring. Could it be your school? The competition is open to public high schools across the country and applying is easy.

To apply, head over to WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement and tell us how your school is preparing students for college and a career. The application requires three short essays and some information about student achievement that should be easily accessible. An optional short video about your school can also be submitted. The deadline to submit the application is March 11, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

The Commencement Challenge is a great opportunity for students and schools to showcase their talents and achievements. The competition has been featured on Good Morning America and musicians John Legend and Nick Jonas have encouraged students and schools apply for the opportunity of a lifetime. To hear what each of them had to say, check out their videos:

I figured one video would give you the idea;



Read the Rest from the White House


Now let's look at the facts as reported by CBS

White House memo notes shortage of applicants for contest to have Obama to speak at high school graduation Posted by Peter Maer 



The White House is ramping up an effort to promote a nationwide competition to decide which high school wins a commencement speech by President Obama.

An internal White House memo indicates that the White House is facing a shortage of applications less than a week before the deadline.

The competition was extended from the February 25 deadline until Friday, March 11 after few schools met the original application deadline. CBS News has learned a White House Communications Office internal memo dated February 22 noted "a major issue with the Commencement Challenge."

"As of yesterday we had received 14 applications and the deadline is Friday," the memo said. The memo also urged recipients to, "please keep the application number close hold."

A follow-up memo on February 28 reported receipt of 68 applications. Noting the competition among more than 1,000 schools last year, the memo said, "Something isn't working." It called on staffers to ask "friendly congressional, gubernatorial and mayoral offices" to encourage schools to apply.

"We should also make sure the Cabinet is pushing the competition out to their lists," the memo said. The note reiterated, "We do not want the actual application number out there (we didn't release the number of applications we received last year until after the submission period)-so folks should not use it in their pitches

Read The Rest

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A big tip of the hat to USAT Member Realitycheck4eve who dug up all this information

It's clear schools aren't as  interested in a visit from the President as they once were.  For a long time educators, who tend to be a little liberal, would have done anything to have Obama speak at their school.  Is it possible that Obama is losing some of his appeal to one of his most influencial and vocal support voter blocks?  My guess is it's possible, altough at this point I can't see it heping the Republicans.  Teacher'a aren't happy about how the administrations Race To The Top scheme affects them personally.  I can't help but wonder if this is there way of sending a warning to the White House?  What else would cause the applications to drop over 99%

If they are trying to send a message, it probably won't work, The Obama Adminisrations doesn't let details like public opinion stand in the way of the President's agenda.  He's proven that over and over since he's been in office.  He also knows that in the current political climate it won't matter how much the teachers get hurt by his agenda, they're going to remain angrier at the GOP than the President.  Simply put, he owns their vote.  Besides, if they get too upset about Merit Pay Testing, he can blame Jeb Bush.  Bush is the one who's been traveling the country selling the concept of grading teachers through standardized testing to the public and state legislatures.  

Not many people are questioning the idea of rewarding high performing teachers, even less are questioning the need to evavulate our education system. People are begining to question of standardized testing as the only way to accomplish it.  As Sanda's Blog  SB736/HB7019: The trouble with value-added measurement points out, there are other well researched opinions about the usefulness of the tests.  At least one State, North Carolina is making clear they don't want to play the testing game any longer..  

There's another idea being floated, one that could completely change the the entire standardized testing industry, if the concept starts to gain traction, you might want to sell any stocks you own it test related companies.   

But that, is another blog..