http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2009/09/03/AR 2009090300965.html?hpid=moreheadlines Parents who want their children to hear President Obama's back- to-school message Tuesday might have to keep them home. School systems from the Washington suburbs to Houston are balking at airing the speech to all of their students. Loudoun County and Charles County have no plans to show it at all. Logistics, rather than politics, are driving many of the decisions, especially in Northern Virginia, where Tuesday is the first day of school. The speech, which will be broadcast live from Wakefield High School in Arlington County, was planned as an inspirational message entirely about encouraging kids to work hard and stay in school, said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor. Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to principals nationwide encouraging them to show it. But the announcement of the speech prompted a frenzied response from some conservatives, who called it an attempt to indoctrinate students, not motivate them. Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said the speech is an effort to spread President Obama's socialist ideology and justify his positions on health care, the economy and taxes. Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin claimed that the left has always used kids in public schools as guinea pigs and as junior lobbyists for their social liberal agenda. White House officials said they were surprised and frustrated by the reaction to a speech they said amounts to an educational pep talk. Vietor said the speech will be released Monday to give parents time to review it and decide for themselves. There's a tradition in Washington of attack first, ask questions later, he said. There is a 'ready, fire, aim' approach to political attacks. It's unfortunate that politics has been brought into this. It is not a policy speech. There is no discussion of health care or Afghanistan or any political issues. This is a speech about the importance of staying in school and working hard. Previous presidents have given national speeches in schools. In October 1991, President George H.W. Bush gave a nationally televised speech to students at Alice Deal Junior High School in the District, encouraging them to study hard and avoid drugs. At the time, House Democrats criticized the speech for having political motivations. The line between politics and schools has always been closely watched by both parties, said Diane Ravitch, an education historian at New York University. Anything that seems to advance the presidents' agenda would bring them the wrath of Congress. She said that Obama's speech appears to have a positive study hard message but that the educational materials that accompany it might have crossed an invisible line for some. Many critics focused their concerns on suggested classroom activities, which appeared to solicit support for Obama. In response, the Education Department changed one proposal from having children write letters to themselves about what they could do to help the president to writing about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term educational goals. Supporters of the president's plan argued that it was a nonissue. This is coming out of right field, said Andrew J. Rotherham, co- founder of the District-_base_d think tank Education Sector. There is nothing here. In the Washington area and beyond, school systems fielded phone calls from parents about the speech while juggling the myriad pressures of a packed back-to-school schedule. Officials in Howard and Prince William counties reported dozens of phone calls from parents _object_ing to the speech being shown during the school day. Loudoun officials sent a note to principals Tuesday advising them to keep their first-day schedules intact. We have got way too much to do that day, said School Board Chairman Robert F. DuPree Jr. Loudoun County Public Schools is not going to be interrupting the school day. But he said teachers could incorporate the speech into future lessons. Officials in Charles said they will not air it because of technical limitations. If we can't show it to all, we can't show it to any, schools spokesman Steven Sprouse said. Elsewhere in the region, most systems said they are leaving the decision of whether to show the speech up to principals or teachers. Prince William County Schools spokesman Ken Blackstone said the president's address will be treated like any other educational technology product that comes through the schools' office. He said officials will send it to schools as an FYI or a potential instructional resource. D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee was more optimistic about the address but also said her principals will decide how to deal with it. I think it's a wonderful precedent to set for the president of the United States to be speaking directly to children, Rhee said. Brian Dunnell, a social studies teacher at Annandale High School in Fairfax County said he did not want his students to miss the opportunity to hear Obama's message to them. To have a man in his position tell them that education is important . . . kids will be inspired. Yeah, a man with no evidence of a college degree telling them education is important.  That's rich.