Austin-area schools say they will let teachers decide whether to use the president's speech in class.

Responding to a firestorm that began spreading Wednesday over President Barack Obama's decision to make a speech to schoolchildren over the Web, the Austin, Round Rock and Lake Travis school districts said that individual teachers will decide whether they would show the speech in their classrooms and that parents can opt to have their children not participate.

President Obama told a student reporter last month that he would be making an address to schoolchildren on September 8:



Obama's address, which is billed as a direct speech to children on the importance of education, set off a nationwide wave of phone calls from parents who were concerned their students might be forced to watch. The speech is scheduled to air at 11 a.m. Tuesday on the White House Web site, www.whitehouse.gov.

Lake Travis school district spokesman Marco Alvarado said schools may show the speech in one common location. But, he said, the district will not "suggest, encourage or require" the speech to be shown or made part of lesson plans.

The district, in a letter to parents, said they may want to consider watching the speech at home.

Round Rock officials said they are "treating this like any other national news event, such as an election or shuttle launch, and allowing individual teachers to determine if their class will view the speech, if it aligns to the curriculum and is timely."

Austin officials said the "district believes such speeches by any sitting president are worthy of Americans' time, attention and consideration. Thus, teachers who believe that a viewing of the president's remarks are in alignment with their classroom instruction ... will allow their students to take advantage of the opportunity afforded them through this address."

Obama administration officials say this is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's schoolchildren about persisting and succeeding in school.

Not all Austin-area districts responded immediately to queries about the speech.

In Houston, according to news reports, each school will decide whether to show the speech.

Meanwhile, Web and radio campaigns called on parents to protest the speech by having their children call in sick to school Tuesday. At least one school district in Columbia, Mo., is asking that teachers notify parents first if they decide they want to show the speech in class.

The U.S. Department of Education is providing "a menu of classroom activities" on its Web site to encourage discussion about the speech. Suggestions include having students create posters of their educational goals.

The proposals caused outrage among some politicians.

"President Bush believed that no child should be left behind," said state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. "President Obama apparently believes no voter should be left behind, no matter how young".

"This seems more of an extended campaign for himself, as opposed to focusing on the important issue of education," Patrick said.

Jim Greer, Florida's Republican Party chairman, said Obama's real motive is to indoctrinate students with his "socialist ideology."

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, responded by saying:

"It's the GOP Chair of Florida who needs to go back to school. ... Like a long line of Presidents before him, President Obama will address audiences, young, old and every age in between."