And…drum roll please…it’s the elite Sidwell Friends School. I’ve found two choice quotes from the news article that I want to highlight:
“A number of great schools were considered. In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now,” said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama.
Lelyveld also said that the Obamas had taken public schools into consideration, but they still felt that a private school was in the best interest of their children.
The issue of education is a huge blind spot for the Democrats and indeed many liberals. It’s all about the unions and the public school teachers not the children, especially poor children. Many parents would wholeheartedly agree with the above quotes in regard to their own children. And yet, they are forced to spend their tax dollars on public schools and have no money for good private schools. I’m happy that Obama has decided to send his children to a good, safe, private school. Now, here’s hoping he brings change and hope to the numerous people whose children are stuck in failing, dangerous public schools by embracing vouchers or tax credits for private education.
November 22, 2008 at 3:38 pm |
Eh, we’d just end up with a system of elite private schools and ghetto private schools.
November 22, 2008 at 4:37 pm |
Annie,
I think if all education went private that would be true, but I think the point is that average folks should be offered the choices that the elites (both liberal and conservative) have for their children. That supposed strong supporters of public education would send their kids to a private school says a lot. In DC, when they offered vouchers, people lined up for hours, and were devastated when the cap was reached. They were poor and middle class people who just wanted their kids to have the same education/safety that the rich kids had.
November 22, 2008 at 6:01 pm |
I’m not counting on Obama doing anything for private schools. I will not be teaching in public prison (i mean school) any longer beginning next semester….I don’t even think the government should be involved with education in the first place, but that’s another story ;)
November 23, 2008 at 1:20 pm |
-Eh, we’d just end up with a system of elite private schools and ghetto private schools.-
That’s funny, we did just fine without the public school system before. Many of our presidents were home-schooled. Why do people think that we would be in such danger without public schools? They weren’t always around, actually.
November 23, 2008 at 3:15 pm |
I would rather dismantle the elite system of private education than allow those with the inclination and means to buy into it. What I hear you saying is that you’re happy to leave other people’s children in what you consider substandard schooling as long as you have the option of something better for your kids. Perhaps as a short term solution, I see that, but in the long run, that strikes me as unsatisfactory.
and Rob, democracy relies on an educated populace. without a public education system, many would receive no education at all–just as they did before there was such a system. Of course, in those days not everyone had the right to vote, so it was less imperative that they actually be educated. I suppose being a member of a group that was traditionally undereducated and denied all the rights of a citizen colors my perception of the situation.
November 23, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
Annie,
What I am saying is that if there is a private school and a public school in the same neighborhood, and one is safe and the other not, then I would rather my kids go to the private school. But, I would also give other parents the right too, even if it is through tax breaks or vouchers. You would still have failing schools, but at least parents would have some choice in the matter, and many would likely choose to send their kids to the public school anyway. What you stated is exactly what politicians are doing, advocating strongly for public schools, and making it harder for private schools to operate, all the while sending their own kids to elite schools. I am not saying I want to send only my kids to elite schools, as if I could afford it anyway, but also other people’s kids.
You are right this is not a long term solution in that a long term solution would be to find a way that all schools were safe and effective. However, in the mean time, at least parents who want it would be able to send their kids to the same schools the politicians do. What people do now (who can afford it) is just to not move to neighborhoods with bad schools (which happens a lot), but that isn’t going to help a neighborhood, and just basically creates elitist schools anyway, based on living in a nice neighborhood.
November 23, 2008 at 9:04 pm |
I should note that I am not opposed to public education, and many public school teachers and students are doing a great job. The public system certainly needs help in many neighborhoods. However, others are so nice and well-funded they rival even the best private schools. I do not believe that we should stop funding public schools, but that the funding should be allowed to be directed toward private schools doing a good job. I would like to see the opportunities the elites have be extended to us ordinary folks. Also, I vote for public school levies because I don’t want to see my town’s schools fail.
I think the main point of the original post is that there is disconnect between political talk and action. If public schools are so good in reality (as opposed to just in theory when speaking political talking points), then politicians should not be hesitant to send their kids to them too.
November 24, 2008 at 1:30 am |
As I recall, that is where the Clinton family sent their daughter when Bill Clinton became president in 1993…
November 24, 2008 at 1:33 am |
Annie – I am trying to understand what you meant by
What I hear you saying seems to be like class envy and promoting the idea of putting the better schools in the cross-hairs rather than making the terrible schools better….
But “Allow those with the inclination and means to buy into it.” What does that even mean? Already it is those with means that send their children to elite schools…. So really, I don’t understand what you are calling for or would prefer to see here.
November 24, 2008 at 10:41 am |
-democracy relies on an educated populace.-
That’s the problem, public schools aren’t educating the populace.
(Drum crash. “Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be here all week, folks!”)