By now you may have heard that President Obama will be addressing our students nationwide on September 8th at 1 p.m. EST. It should be exciting and inspiring!

Here’s the letter sent out to principals by his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan:

Dear Principal:

In a recent interview with student reporter Damon Weaver, President Obama announced that on September 8—the first day of school for many children across America—he will deliver a national address directly to students on the importance of education. The President will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning. He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents, and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens.

Since taking office, the President has repeatedly focused on education, even as the country faces two wars, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and major challenges on issues like energy and health care.  The President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy. Educated people are more active civically and better informed on issues affecting their lives, their families and their futures.

This is the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation’s school children about persisting and succeeding in school. We encourage you to use this historic moment to help your students get focused and begin the school year strong. I encourage you, your teachers, and students to join me in watching the President deliver this address on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. It will be broadcast live on the White House websitewww.whitehouse.govat 1:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

In advance of this address, we would like to share the following resources: a menu of classroom activities for students in preK–6 and for students in 7–12. These are ideas developed by and for teachers to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives. We are also staging a student video contest on education. Details of the video contest will be available on our website in the coming weeks.

On behalf of all Americans, I want to thank our educators who do society’s most important work by preparing our children for work and for life. No other task is more critical to our economic future and our social progress. I look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead to continue improving the quality of public education we provide all of our children.

Sincerely, Arne Duncan

It will be interesting to see what the President has to say. We all know he is a brilliant orator and is a wonderful role model for all of our children. Children were quite moved as they watched his inauguration in schools nationwide last January.

The focus in Arne Duncan’s letter to principals, however, made me think of a reference I heard attributed to Michael Gurian, educational author of such books as The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life. Gurian is said to have noted that children today must be thought of as more than just “economic interns.” I thought of this when I read phrases in Secretary Duncan’s preview of the President’s talk such as, “to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs…” and “The President believes that education is a critical part of building a new foundation for the American economy.”

From my perspective as a developmental educator, I have always held the strong conviction that children have only one childhood and that during this period of “growing up” they should not be asked to be particularly focused on the future, but on their present life experience.

One of the remarkable gifts of childhood is children’s abilities to focus on and get the most out of the present moment. As educators, we have the responsibility to capitalize on this period of naissance and create the most rigorous, challenging, and exciting educational experience for them each year they are in school. We need to teach them to read and write, compute and problem solve. We need to teach them to help their classmates, school, and community and to be personally responsible. We need to maximize the child’s developing cognitive and social skills every year in the context of curriculum that has meaning to the child.

Gradually, their interests and abilities will help unfold a direction for their future employment. Today we are often told that “the jobs we are preparing today’s students for do not largely exist yet.” As teachers, I believe it is our professional and moral responsibility to educate all our students to the best of our abilities regardless of current national economic conditions or national priorities.

The new administration has named one of its new educational initiatives “Race to the Top.” It will be a shame if we turn our educational focus into a competitive race that might inadvertently have the unintended consequence of leaving more children behind. Nearly a hundred years ago, child development pioneer, Dr. Arnold Gesell of Yale, said that “the greatest measure of any civilization is the degree of thoughtful reverence paid to the child.”

I believe President Obama holds that kind of respect for all children. I look forward to his words for students on September 8th helping us all feel more united in the ways we seek to reach all our children each day we have the opportunity to be with them in school.