And now that the event has happened, we can say in retrospect that the nation appears as strong as it did before the speech.
Actually, it may be stronger. Who knows how many children were inspired by the image of the nation's first black president, telling students in a nation-wide broadcast that he was once a "goof-off" who went on to succeed.
Some students could use that moment of inspiration to change their lives.
"You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job," Obama said. "You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it."
"Being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study...you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try."
Before the speech, critics saw nefarious forces at work. They feared Obama would spread an insidious "socialist" message to impressionable children. As a result, some children stayed home from school and some schools blocked the broadcast.
We were pleased to see that after the speech, some of the critics admitted they were wrong -- sort of.
Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, the sharpest critic before the broadcast, said "My kids watched it, and I thought it was appropriate."
Administration officials were dispatched to schools around the nation, and Durham's Southern High was fortunate to host Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator.
Jackson echoed the president's message for her Durham audience.
"There are no excuses, because at the end of the day, the expectations for you are as high as you make them yourself," she said.
Students at Southern cheered for Jackson and Obama.
Southern senior Aaron Jones told The Herald-Sun's Matthew Milliken that he was inspired by the president.
"From all the clapping and all the noise I was hearing, I think everybody was overwhelmed," he said. "I think it touched everybody."
And isn't inspiring Americans to do better exactly the kind of thing a president should do?
