Immediately following President Barack Obama’s speech to the nation’s students yesterday, a diverse mix of juniors in Mr. Mendoza’s US History class at Andrew Hill High School in South San Jose gave their reactions. By a show hands, the President did not poll well.
Projected on a large screen from a laptop, Obama spoke about the value of education, the possibility of success, and the relationship between the two. Following the address, only 10 students said that the speech was useful.
Some felt it was the same points they hear from their parents already, and others questioned the hopeful tone of the talk, while they are seeing budgets cuts gut their educational opportunities.
At Andrew Hill, students still haven’t received their books yet for the school year. Kristin, who twirled her pencil despondently while listening to the Presidential address, was Obama’s most vocal critic. “Obama is the same as other presidents,” she said. “Sounds like everyone else trying to tell us to do well in school, but where’s the money? He’s saying ‘do better,’ but then don’t take away the money, and show us what you can do.”
Amidst the more critical viewpoints, several students did say they were inspired by the hopeful delivery of the President, and that they can still achieve, despite the limitations they are facing. Anthony, dressed in full ROTC attire, defended the President in his message of striving for success. In response to Kristin, he told the class, “Its really up to us you know. He can put all the money in, but ultimately its up to the person to do it.”
A common response was that the President fell short because he did not connect with their experience. Vee explained it through the social ladder of school. “Trying is not enough. It’s like being pretty—some people don’t understand what it is like for others, but they have to try walking in those people’s shoes to know what they go through.”
Across town, at Eastside San Jose’s Fischer Middle School, students in Mr. Richardson’s 8th grade homeroom class focused on what challenges they face, after they heard the President recount stories of students who have become doctors, or have gone on to college in the face of obstacles.
The following are some written responses by the Andrew Hill High School students and Fischer Middle School students from workshops facilitated by Silicon Valley De-Bug, Generation Engaged and Unity Care.
Andrew Hill High School:
I think the president had honest intentions about this speech, but honestly, it probably won’t affect many people. Especially at Andrew Hill. I’ve been here for three years, and most of the time, the atmosphere is depressing enough to make you lose hope. The colors, the people, the places, buildings, books, and desks; it’s something un-motivating to carry on because it seems like no one cares with all the money being taken, and many programs being cut.
To me personally, it was pretty inspiring coming from a president who has been there, done that, but there’s not much being done about it. I think kids need to be shown that someone cares enough to help us, encourage us, and motivates us.—Thi B.
I thought the speech was too repetitive. I have heard what he spoke about countless times, even his childhood, him having no father. Everyone has a messed up childhood around here. It’s nothing for him to say he knows what it is like. He doesn’t even know who we are, or who I am. I think he is a fake. Hope is a word you shouldn’t f*&# with and he’s giving everyone false hope. So far he hasn’t done anything that has changed the U.S.—Angel M.
The speech was encouraging for young people. I though it was especially powerful for those who don’t have anyone in their lives who gives them advice. – Anthony Sanchez
I thought the whole speech was whack just because he was talking about doing good in school, but how can we do good in school when they are doing budget cuts and taking money from the school? He is contradicting himself. I would’ve liked to hear from him to say, “we’re going to stop taking money from schools but investing in them.”—Juan M.
I’d really likes to be a photographer, but I can’t even learn because the teachers can’t buy the supplies we need. Obama needs to see things from our point of view; he needs to realize what were going through in this depression. Its hard for a lot of students, including me. —Kristin P.
In my opinion I didn’t exactly favor the speech that Obama gave to the students across America. I felt like the words he used in his speech might have pressured the students. He gave out words as if you don’t do your best you’ll let your country down. I felt like he was putting a alot of pressure onto the childrens’ shoulders. Now add on the fact that there could be issues going on in those childrens lives already. Just adding more weight of pressure can make their heads explode. Instead of saying ‘you’ll let your country down’ he should of used less pressure filled words like, ‘No matter what just do, just do your best in anyway you can.” —Jennifer G.
Fischer Middle School:
The main challenge I face is being a role model as an eighth grader. You have to set an example for the seventh and sixth graders. -– David D.
The President did not inspire me because I hear it every day -– don’t give up, be proud, and ask questions if you don’t understand. He should have spoke about racism, and your future if you don’t care about school. – Linh P.
I was inspired because he talked about how you have to work hard to get to your goals and dreams. Otherwise you will never get a chance to become famous or get money if you just stay at home. You have to get a real job to get money. -– Armando M.
It would have really inspiring if Obama said how to deal with not having enough time in your day.” -– Angelica M.
President Obama’s speech made me want to put more effort into my studies, because if you don’t have a voice, you don’t get heard.” -– Juan. L
The thing he said that I liked was that we should not be scared to ask questions, because you will never move up in life ask about the things you don’t know. -– Jose M.
It’s great to get youth’s perspective on what Obama said, so that it’s not just a talking AT them. These reactions remind me of how long I’ve been OUT of school—I forgot how it was to have no books, to have teachers who aren’t really sure what they’re doing, under-resourced schools in general. I didn’t even know how under-resourced my school district was until my school district was described in Jonathan Kozol’s book “Savage Inequalities” as the opposite of Beverly Hills Unified. When I first read Obama’s speech the night before, I thought to myself, well…that’s nice. He’s just basically saying stay in school—the same thing that parents, stars in afterschool specials, and those motivational posters that they sell the first 2 weeks of school say. But like one of the kids said, he could’ve heard that from his dad. But Obama is the president, and should’ve talked about what HE was going to do to make schools better.
These young people’s comments remind me and I hope the rest of the legislators who will debate budget cuts to education of the real conditions in the schools from the perspective of those who are the recipients of the “quality” education that our society is supposed to provide.
This piece captures the honest truth of how most inner city and disconnected youth feel. As a youth worker on the East Side of San Jose I see first hand the mistrust the kids have. They are always pumped up to do good with little or no support and no real expectations. But there is hope, and I hope the youth will get the message….that their future is in their hands and they need to be responsible for themselves and for their own education…..
I think we can all agree that any problems in our educational system are somehow the fault of the San Jose Police Department.
Steve,
All I can say is WOW. It’s great to see Raj not mention the police for once and focus on what his organization claims to be doing. If you are a friend or follower of Raj, you will continue to sabotage any good he might to do. Your delusion of the police is tragic. The San Jose Police do a great job and everyone knows it. Lets work together and help spread hope not hate Steve.
I think John’s sarcasm detector is malfunctioning.
I agree the San Jose Police does a great job. Your hero Raj, however, did the best he could to tarnish their great work and create a divide in the community and tear down the bridges the San Jose Police Department has been building in the community. The only thing Raj and his group are really known for is ripping on police officers, and I could care less what they have to say about anything.
“The San Jose Police do a great job and everyone knows it. Lets work together and help spread hope not hate Steve.” I can agree on working toward hope, and pulling together, but I think you need to try telling that to your pal Raj. He is the only one spreading hate. Calling the Police racists, terrorists, and murders is something he specializes in. Look at anyone of his websites and see for yourself.
I think we can all agree that this article is about something else.
Can someone tell me just how our leaders lose touch with realities of life like this? Unless and until we give all children an equal education we are setting them up for failure. We can’t tell our youth that they need to work hard, and strive for greatness if they don’t even have the books or skilled teachers to accomplish that goal. It is pretty much like offering a starving man a meal and then telling him there isn’t any food!
That Silicon Valley De-Bug, a group that has done nothing to establish its credibility or win the trust of this community, is allowed to have a presence of any kind in a public school says a lot about what is wrong with public education. I could only hope that the Ku Klux Klan—another organization with radical beliefs, a disrespect for due process, and a hunger to get at young minds, wins equal time with the Fischer School students. At least then, with the insurgents dressed in the familiar and frightening hoods, even the dumbest of students would realize the great disservice that school administrators are doing to the student body.
You know Fin Fan you make a very good but frightening point. Who is being allowed to come in and speak to kids? Do parents get informed prior to these groups being brought into the schools so that they can refuse to allow their children to be exposed to whatever they are peddling?
Any parents out there who can chime in and tell us what the rule on this is?
Why doesn’t the school have its books yet?
Could an offensive paragraph or two about Irish Americans needs to be removed.
David D. of Fischer gets my vote for favorite kid.
No whining. Just a cheerfl and businesslike acknowledgment of his responsibility.
Good on ya’ David!
This is so frustrating. None of you acknowledge what when on here. It was a great opportunity for students to engage in dialogue and have their ideas published in national media outlets. I’d rather have a healthy discussion about the students reactions. There is a much greater level of sophistication in their responses than some who’ve posted on this blog. DeBug is an amazing resource for young AND old people in this community where they learn, organize, become writers,entrepreneurs, photographers, advocates. It gives them an outlet where others have failed.
Some of your responses are truely ridiculous and you should be ashamed of yourselves because you have no clue how important DeBug is to so many people and what a benefit it is to this community.
This is a clear example of how shallow and inarticulate your reasoning is.
Raj could write about kittens and you would a way to distort it. Its like I’m watching the O’Reilly Factor.
Voltaire said that “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.” All of you who took this opportunity to spew anger showed yourselves to be petty.
Jamie,
I deeply respect your need to defend your friend Raj. My hope is that you will extend the same kind of respect for differing opinions that you are demanding here from us. Please, take a step back and realize that Raj’s entire history on this site has not been a very positive experience for him, or many others. I don’t know why his stories are still being posted on here, but you can’t demand people to respect someone they don’t like, or find credible.
I personally have several friends on the Police force that I care about as much as you care about Raj, and who do a whole lot more for youth, youth at risk, non-profits, and our community than Raj does. As soon as Raj shows the same respect to others, as he demands may be then others can look past his history of bashing the Police, and never citing a single positive thing about the Police. And by the way, Raj is NOT De Bug. He is a member of it. His behaviors do not represent your group as a whole. I have read De Bug’s website, and there are some incredibly gifted writers, artists with some great talent on there who focus on very vital issues in today’s world. I have never seen Raj do anything but complain about the Police, and write stories that when researched, are lacking a lot of fact and therefore has made him non credible to me.
I do agree that the topic is a good one, and if you look above you will see I DID address it with a comment directly related to Raj’s post, so please feel free to respond to my post, or keep your comments limited to the topic and ignore those who don’t.
Kathleen—you speak like you know Raj or De-Bug. When the truth is, you’ve never been inside our center nor even care to go, don’t know the numerous things we do, the amount of heart and hours Raj has put in to De-Bug. You lack credibility and that’s all I’m going to spend my time with on you.
I do know Raj. Also I have been in Council Chambers every time he has spoken, and protested. I also KNOW some of your members. You shouldn’t run around making accusations you can’t support. It makes you lack credibility.
I will extend respect where respect is due. I more than invite differing opinions, my job is to ensure that dialogues contain them. By the way Kathleen, you contradict yourself before you get a chance to hit the space bar and start another paragraph—you ask me to “extend the respect to differing opinions” but then say you “don’t know why his stories are still being posted.” Your logic is in tune with your opinion—flawed.
I’m happy you have police officers as friends, association to police by friendship or relation seems to be a great way of ensuring your safety and a lack of speeding tickets. But I’m pretty sure of the fact that you have to meet and know someone before you make judgments about how much they care or don’t care.
I applaud any police officer who does his job with integrity and respect. And even more so for those that make an effort to go out of their way to help the community and the people they serve. But for those who do not share those values or disrespect the community they so generously are compensated to serve, I have no sympathy.
Read carefully Kathleen, I never confused Raj with DeBug, I am keenly aware of the distinction.
Jamie we’ve had this tiresome conversation many times before and quite frankly it is getting old. You came on here expressing frustration and when you got an honest response to your post, you chose to turn it into a personal confrontation complete with your own editorials, and accusations.
You say, “I’m happy you have police officers as friends, association to police by friendship or relation seems to be a great way of ensuring your safety and a lack of speeding tickets,” and then in the next hypocritical statement you say, “But I’m pretty sure of the fact that you have to meet and know someone before you make judgments about how much they care or don’t care.”
Since you don’t know me Jamie I’d have to say you are in violation of your own stand on ethics and showing respect. Perhaps you might want to practice what you preach now and turn your attention back to the topic, you know, Obama’s speech. Either way we are going to have to just agree to disagree on your buddy Raj because I DO know Raj, I HAVE heard him on way too many occasions, and read too many misleading articles by him to have any respect for him regardless of what you say in his defense, and regardless of your opinion of me.
Jaime,
Would you be equally supportive if the school had allowed David Duke, the Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan, to speak with students and have the “great opportunity for students to engage in dialogue and have their ideas published in national media outlets.”? After all, he represents just another perspective just as Raj does.
Excellent reaction piece. I don’t recall any in school political broadcasts but then I went to school during Jimmy Carter and Reagan. What’s interesting is that the kids are very realistic about what the problems are and aware of the linkages between school funding and achievement. I find it funny that this was such a controversial speech for adults, but the kids basically could care less about his political posturing (which is what pretty much every “hope” or “values” speech is). Talk without money or action is nice for sound bites, but the kids saw through that an even though education funding is a state and local matter, questioned the call for high achievement when basic needs aren’t even being provided for.
I’d like to see more engagement with the students about what could be done. Could we stimulate the economy and the future of our communities by investing in mentoring partnerships? How about creating jobs for the long-term unemployed that contribute to this?
Good post Raj, thanks for bringing the voice of the students to the table as everyone else forgets about them while talking about what “We outa do for education…”