Posted: Thursday, September 3, 2009 3:32 pm

After some raised questions, Rutherford County Schools released a letter to all parents regarding allowing students to watch a mid-day speech from President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The letter is as follows:

To all Rutherford County Schools parents:

As many of you are aware, President Barack Obama plans to deliver an address to students across the country next Tuesday at 11 a.m. Central Time.

Based on information we have received from the U.S. Department of Education, the speech is intended to promote the importance of education and for students to set personal, academic goals.

The content of the speech — according to the U.S. Department of Education — is not expected to be political or address any policies. We do believe that when the President of the United States speaks, it is our duty to listen, even if some don’t agree with his policies.

To that end, our schools will tune into the speech at 11 a.m. using available televisions and computers. Any parent who would like to watch the address simultaneously can do so by tuning in to C-SPAN or by going to www.whitehouse.gov.

Our schools will not modify their normal schedules to watch the speech, and because of its timing, some students may be unable to watch it because of lunch and class changes. However, the speech can be downloaded after the fact if families wish to view it by going to www.whitehouse.gov.

The U.S. Department of Education also has provided lessons that teachers or parents may use to go along with the speech. Those materials are available now to anyone who would like to see them at www.ed.gov.

Any parent who does not wish for their children to participate may send a note to school with their children on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Those children will be excused from watching the speech.

Thanks for your time, and I hope your family has an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.