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A Crucial Decision For the Obamas: Public or Private?

g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
edited November 2008 in A Moving Train
A Crucial Decision For the Obamas: Public or Private?
Like many parents moving their children to Washington, Barack and Michelle Obama will be told to avoid D.C. public schools. Is that good advice?


This is a tricky subject. School choice is very personal. The president-elect's fifth-grade daughter, Malia, and second-grade daughter, Sasha, have been attending the first-rate, private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. I bet they transfer to Georgetown Day School, a good fit because of its similarity to their current school, its historic role as the city's first racially integrated school and the presence of Obama senior legal adviser Eric H. Holder Jr. on its board of trustees. It would be a sensible decision by two smart, caring people.

But it wouldn't hurt to look around first. Georgetown Day, like other private schools, would charge them nearly $56,000 a year for two kids. Why not see what their tax dollars are paying for? One educational gem happens to be the closest public school to their new home. Strong John Thomson Elementary School is at 1200 L St. NW, three-fifths of a mile from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Go north on 15th, turn right on L and three blocks farther it's on the right.....



I can't see them going public mainly due to security reasons but all schools here in the district are on alert for a visit from the Obama's. Which way do you think they'll go or should go?

Peace
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


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Comments

  • Brain of J.LoBrain of J.Lo Posts: 3,259
    Ordinarily, I'm not big on private school for k-12, but in this case, I'd go for private. It seems like a private school would be better able to deal with the security issue of having the president's kids.

    If they were my kids, I'd want them in a bubble...lol. Homeschooling inside of a bubble inside of the White House. :D
  • Strangest TribeStrangest Tribe Posts: 2,502
    I'm usually against private schools but in this case the Obamas should seek the most secure setting.
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  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    if they already had their daughters attending private schools in chicago, i would imagine they make the same choice in DC. as to the public vs. private debate, for any parent, it's a personal choice. i se no right or wrong in it, just what's right for your own children.

    i don't really understand being *against* private schools, against what, exactly? it's a choice like any other choice. then again, i attended private schools 4th thru 12th, but my middle sister went public all the way, my oldest sister a mix of the 2.....so we were an equal opportunity family education-wise. :)


    holy crap...56K a year?! wowzers.....:eek:
    still, their $$$, their choice.
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  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    decides2dream wrote:
    if they already had their daughters attending private schools in chicago, i would imagine they make the same choice in DC. as to the public vs. private debate, for any parent, it's a personal choice. i se no right or wrong in it, just what's right for your own children.

    i don't really understand being *against* private schools, against what, exactly? it's a choice like any other choice. then again, i attended private schools 4th thru 12th, but my middle sister went public all the way, my oldest sister a mix of the 2.....so we were an equal opportunity family education-wise. :)


    holy crap...56K a year?! wowzers.....:eek:
    still, their $$$, their choice.

    I don't have a problem with private schools either my daughter has been going to Catholic School since kindergarden. It's more covienient and expensive, one good thing she has been with 75% of her class since then.

    One drawback no foriegn is taught there.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • saveuplifesaveuplife Posts: 1,173
    g under p wrote:
    A Crucial Decision For the Obamas: Public or Private?

    [/color][/b]

    I can't see them going public mainly due to security reasons but all schools here in the district are on alert for a visit from the Obama's. Which way do you think they'll go or should go?

    Peace


    In order to avoid being hypocritical, they should sent them to public school.
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    saveuplife wrote:
    In order to avoid being hypocritical, they should sent them to public school.

    ....exactly just to see how DC Public schools are doing. NOW THAT would be a SHOCKER! Ain't gonna happen though.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • saveuplifesaveuplife Posts: 1,173
    g under p wrote:
    ....exactly just to see how DC Public schools are doing. NOW THAT would be a SHOCKER! Ain't gonna happen though.

    Peace


    Agreed. I'm not saying he's in the minority though. To be fair, most Dems send their kids to private schools.

    Problem is, a lot of people don't have the funds to do the same. EVERYONE should be able to use their tax dollars in order to have the option of sending their kids to private school. It should be a choice. But, I don't want to derail the thread.
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,281
    I would think that the schools the Jenna and Barbara Bush attended, Chelsea Clinton attended, Amy Carter attended etc are set up to see the secret service. I wouldn't be surprised if they look into those schools or schools like them first.
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  • meisteredermeistereder Posts: 1,577
    saveuplife wrote:
    Agreed. I'm not saying he's in the minority though. To be fair, most Dems send their kids to private schools.

    Problem is, a lot of people don't have the funds to do the same. EVERYONE should be able to use their tax dollars in order to have the option of sending their kids to private school. It should be a choice. But, I don't want to derail the thread.


    Most democrats send their kids to private schools?

    It has mostly to do with where you live, and secondly how much money you have. I live in an area in LA where if I had a kid, I would basically have to figure out a way to send him or her to private school. LAUSD is not an option for a lot of people.

    But where I grew up, public school was fine.

    For Obama's kids it's a huge security issue so I would imagine that private school is the only way to go in DC.
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  • VictoryGinVictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    saveuplife wrote:
    In order to avoid being hypocritical, they should sent them to public school.

    it's a bigger inconvenience for the public school and students, and it's a security nightmare. private schools better equipped to handle that. this is obviously a no-win situation politically for them. but i'm sure they'd sacrifice a political loss for the sake of their daughters' safety.
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  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    VictoryGin wrote:
    it's a bigger inconvenience for the public school and students, and it's a security nightmare. private schools better equipped to handle that. this is obviously a no-win situation politically for them. but i'm sure they'd sacrifice a political loss for the sake of their daughters' safety.
    I agree with this. The girls should go to whatever school best caters for their safety. Surely that's one thing we can all agree on.
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    Pj_Gurl wrote:
    I agree with this. The girls should go to whatever school best caters for their safety. Surely that's one thing we can all agree on.

    Rumour has that it might be the private school Sidwell Friends which right around the corner from where I work. They already have a protocol in place for such a presidential occasion, I believe Bush twins or Chelsea Clinton went there.

    BTW one the best schools in DC.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    Looks like it's confirmed the children will be attending Sidwell Friends private school which is around the corner from where I work. Mainly due to the school's experienced ability to deal with security issues.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • iamicaiamica Chicago Posts: 2,628
    Since the kids are now the daughters of the first black president in United States history, I definitely think they should play it safe and go to a private school. They're gonna need all the protection they can get.
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  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    iamica wrote:
    Since the kids are now the daughters of the first black president in United States history, I definitely think they should play it safe and go to a private school. They're gonna need all the protection they can get.

    Ain't that the truth and it's also one THE best school's in DC. They won't be in the same location though with one in middle school and the other in elementary school. In a couple years they'll be in the same location at SF which will ease security issues even more.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


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