Some schools show Obama; others want parental consent

You've probably already heard about some of the controversy about President Barack Obama's address to students Tuesday. We ran a story yesterday about what some of the local schools and politicians are saying.

Durham Public Schools say it'll be up to individual principals to decide whether or not to stream the speech. But I know one school that'll definitely be watching: Southern High is getting a visit the day of the speech from Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson.

The White House is sending officials from different departments to schools around the region to encourage students to work hard and watch the live streams with classes.

Obama is not the first president to directly address students, but he's being accused of pushing a political agenda during the height of the health care debate. Then again, the White House is planning to release an advance copy of the speech Monday to quell parental fears.

What do you think about Obama's plan to speak directly to students Tuesday?

Two weeks ago, we blogged about Lisa Pineiro, CEO of Technical Services Inc., as a heads up about her effort to recruit more females to the construction and contracting industry.

On Saturday, we brought you the full story about her work with female students over at Southern High School.

In case you missed it, there was also an audio slide show.

Though Southern High School has a separate Construction and Architectural Design Academy within the school, few female students end up participating.

But the field can be rewarding and lucrative. Lisa Pineiro, CEO of Technical Services Inc., wants to encourage female students to explore the field.

Pineiro (pictured here) has recruited more than a dozen Southern cheerleaders to spend the next three Thursdays learning how to use hand tools in carpentry.

Once they complete their basic training, they'll assemble playground equipment for a Habitat for Humanity house next month.

Pineiro, who lives in Bahama, says if other students see the popular cheerleaders -- often the girliest girls at school -- to explore a field that's traditionally seen as a man's world, then maybe more young women will catch on.