A Bicentennial Invitation: Teachers Will Witness Inaugural
George O. Jones Jr., a teacher hailing from Maine, is set to attend the upcoming Presidential inauguration of George Bush. Although unsure of the reason behind his invitation, the 33-year-old social-studies instructor at Oxford Hills High School in South Paris expresses his ambivalence, stating, "I honestly don’t know why I was invited. I’m not a Republican, but I don’t dare say that to anyone. I’m definitely a moderate. I’m independent of either party." Mr. Jones is one of over 250 teachers invited by the American Bicentennial Inaugural Committee to partake in the activities marking Mr. Bush’s assumption of office as the 41st President.
The large presence of teachers at the inauguration is intended to emphasize Mr. Bush’s commitment to being the "education President," according to inaugural organizers. Kathy O’Reilly, one of the organizers of "A Teacher’s Inaugural Experience," affirms, "It’s all part of what he said when he was on the campaign trail – creating excellence in education." Teachers from each state and U.S. territory were invited, with nominees selected by the state’s governor, Teacher of the Year program, leading teachers’ union, inaugural chairman, and the Republican teacher-advisory committee. In addition to having their Washington expenses covered for themselves and a guest, the teachers will receive VIP treatment at the inaugural activities, including the opening celebration, swearing-in ceremony, parade, and inaugural balls.
The highlight for educators will be a forum on January 18 hosted by the Education Department, where Mr. Bush and Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos, alongside several education reform-oriented governors, are scheduled to address the teachers. "I expect Secretary Cavazos to address the Administration’s education agenda and to get into some specifics with these teachers," says Melinda Kitchell, the department’s spokesperson.
Education groups perceive this week’s events as a promising sign that Mr. Bush intends to fulfill his campaign promise to prioritize education. Michael Edwards, director of Congressional relations for the National Education Association, remarks, "I think it is rather significant. They are clearly trying to demonstrate that they have a concern for education and educators. This is a very apparent reaching out." Mr. Jones echoes this sentiment, stating, "I am excited by the fact that Mr. Bush wants to be the education President. I hope he will put a lot of energy into it." Mr. Jones suspects that his invitation may have been influenced by his efforts last fall to involve his students in the Presidential campaign, with some of them helping with campaign-related tasks like stuffing envelopes for Mr. Bush.
Mr. Jones’ assumption is correct, as confirmed by Garry Bowne, the Maine inaugural chairman who nominated him. "When I was asked to nominate someone, I wanted to get a teacher who had gotten his students involved," explains Mr. Bowne. "That was a very valuable experience for the students, and I thought it was commendable of Mr. Jones to do it."
Students themselves will also have a role to play in the inauguration festivities. In addition to the customary participation of high-school bands in the inaugural parade, there will be a youth forum the day prior to the inauguration and a children’s festival the day after. Around 500 high-school students will attend various events organized by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, culminating in a gathering where they will join several thousand other students and listen to remarks by Olympic gold-medal gymnast Peter Vidmar, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and business and government officials. Vice President-elect Dan Quayle is also slated to attend. The event will be broadcast live on C-SPAN, promoting it as a live classroom experience for teachers and students across the country. On Saturday, First Lady Barbara Bush and beloved children’s character Big Bird from "Sesame Street" will lead a children’s festival that showcases the history of past inaugurations, with an audience of approximately 3,000 children.
In conclusion, the upcoming Presidential inauguration is not only an important political event but also an occasion for educators and students to be involved and celebrated.
Refusing to accept defeat, supporters of Mount Blue launched an intense political campaign. They reached out to their governor and members of Congress, who advocated on their behalf, and strategically leaked their story to national news outlets. Finally, towards the end of last month, the invitation for the Mount Blue band arrived. This whole experience taught the students a valuable lesson – they realized that accepting unfavorable circumstances as the inevitable outcome of politics was not the only option. They learned that their voices could be heard if they stood up for what was right.
In addition to the events of this week’s inauguration, there is another important milestone approaching – the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. The Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution is encouraging teachers to incorporate a history lesson about this significant bicentennial of our highest office. As a part of the commemoration, the commission is organizing a re-enactment of Washington’s journey from his residence at Mount Vernon to New York City, where he was sworn in. They have developed educational kits for teachers specifically about this inaugural event, which are currently being distributed.
