New America
Education Policy

Teachable Moments: Big Block of Cheese Day

Blog Post
By 

Lindsey Tepe

Jan. 20, 2015
Andrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his White House had a big block of cheese.... I am making a mental list of those who are snickering, and even as I speak I am preparing appropriate retribution.”- Leo McGarry, West Wing

In one of those “life imitating art, imitating life” moments, following tonight’s State of the Union address, tomorrow, January 21, 2015, the Obama Administration will be hosting its second annual “Big Block of Cheese” Day.

For those who may not have caught it the first time around—and have not memorized every episode of West Wing—in the first season of the show, chief of staff Leo McGarry introduces us to the origins of the Big Block of Cheese. In 1837, President Jackson had a 1,400 lb. wheel of cheddar brought into the main foyer of the White House, and the public was invited to partake of the cheese and discuss the events of the time.

In fromage to this historical example of populism, McGarry has his staff take meetings with those whom ordinarily might not make it on the White House schedule. In both episodes of West Wing during which Cheese Day occurs, staffers somewhat begrudgingly enter into these meetings but come away having gained new perspective from passionate members of the public. The Obama Administration’s Cheese Day updates the historical (and Hollywood) version a bit: the discussion will be held on social media, and is strictly BYOC (bring your own cheese). As a sidenote, it’s rumored that the Jackson-era cheese parties got pretty wild, so this may be sensible policy.

Logistically, Cheese Day will follow a pretty clear schedule of events: users can share questions via the (curiously casein-free) hashtag #AskTheWH, and various officials will be responding throughout the day to questions on policy issues such as education, immigration, climate and energy, economic opportunity, foreign policy, and healthcare.

Though the cheese is largely absent, the critics are not. For the second year in a row, for example, the Washington Post produced a moderately humorous critique of the event that serves mostly as an excuse to mock the general public, President Jackson, Aaron Sorkin, and, well, cheese.

While it’s easy to poke fun—I am preparing some bad cheese puns, myself—it’s actually an interesting idea for engaging a wide range of voices around important issues. And while Cheese Day doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, some of the engagement around the hashtag already gives me high hopes. Take, for example, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, which has encouraged parents to get involved:

Some teachers and librarians are joining in, and having their students get involved too:

These parents, teachers, librarians, and students across the country will have a unique opportunity to engage around the substance of the President’s agenda, laid out in tonight's State of the Union address, with the people directly in charge of pushing that agenda forward.

This year, the Obama Administration has been more active online than ever before, preparing social media-friendly content that is easily sharable via twitter and other platforms. Many questions will undoubtedly be answered by directing users toward resources that have been prepared in advance. And while certainly not every tweet will be answered, the responses posted will likely cover a lot of ground.

While the event might be more style than substance (like, say, Kraft singles), this kind of civic engagement is not superficial. It provides an opportunity to engage students around complex policy issues, and presents a teachable moment on meaningful social media use. It also helps to illuminate the many names and faces of the people working on these issues, beyond simply the President and Congress. McGarry’s Cheese Day point is clear: when it comes to policy-making—when it comes to democracy—we ought to check our snobbery at the door.

Tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST several high ranking officials will be responding to questions regarding education (as well as immigration and Latino issues), providing an opportunity to ask about things like the free Community College plan, policies impacting dual language learners, broadband in schools, student data privacy, and more:

  • Dr. Jill Biden - @DrBiden
  • Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz - @Cecilia44
  • Executive Director of Reach Higher Eric Waldo - @ReachHigher
  • Director of Hispanic Media Katherine Vargas - @Vargas44
  • Deputy Director of Hispanic Media Antoinette Rangel - @LaCasaBlanca
  • Department of Education - @USEdGov
I'm sure others will undoubtedly be chiming in throughout the day as well. Happy Cheese Day, and get tweeting – I’ll be following along!"