<p>I am a huge fan of public schools, I sent my child to one, I have career changed and now work in one. However, I agree with Calmon & JHS. We must also consider that if the Obama girls attend public school, It is not only their security that is going to be an issue: the increased security is going to affect evey other child, parent, guardian, teacher, administrator, worker who attends that public school especially in a post 9/11 world. Could you imagine what the dropoff/pickup situation would be?</p>
<p>My daughter’s private school has quite a few well know characters’ children attending the school. Many of them have different names listed in the school directory that only their friends and teachers know of. I know instances when some very famous young celebrities wanted to enroll in the school, the school has turned them away for security reasons. The school thought it would be too disruptive to other students. I think some of those private schools must also take into consideration whether they are willing to put up with a lot of inconvenience in order to have President’s daughters attend the school. As a parent, I would prefer not to have the President’s daughters at my kid’s private school, less of a target.</p>
<p>I’m with garland (post #18). Like her, my kids went to public schools that many CCers likely would not approve of, and so I am a proponent of public education. I think that Obama can be a proponent without sending his own kids to a public school. His own kids’ lives are NOT going to be normal as if he were any citizen. Given their circumstances, I think what is likely best for them is a private school. And they attended one before the White House too. I think Barack and Michelle need to look out for the best interests of their children, given their circumstances of position and where they live, and not use the kids to make a “statement” about issues in education.</p>
<p>I agree with those who feel that the Obamas are entitled to make the school decision purely based on what would be best for the girls, rather than what will play best politically.</p>
<p>I too am a strong supporter of public education and have sent my children to public schools for elementary, junior and high schools, but I live in a suburban area with top-rated schools. I have, however, taught in the Philadelphia school system, which is probably pretty comparable to D.C.'s in terms of the challenges.</p>
<p>Obama does not undermine his commitment to improving public education by making a different choice for his daughters. His focus for the country is on the future. He has to make the choice for his daughters based on current reality. They should not have to pay the price of a less than optimal school situation for the sake of his new job. They will be making enough adjustments.</p>
<p>I hope that some day the choice between inner-city public and private schools will not be such an obvious one for those with options.</p>
<p>I would think nearly any family coming to DC with kids who were in the Lab schools at UC are going to want private schools for them. It is disruptive enough moving in the middle of the year. Also to be the children of the POTUS is really standing out in the public schools and may not be the right decision for anyone involved; the other kids in such schools, the personnel, the secret service, the kids themselves.</p>
<p>Interesting point about someone in education having an obligation of sorts to put his children in public schools. What if those kids are not best served in public schools for any number of reasons? I remember there was someone on a school board who was roundly panned when she put one of her kids in a private school because it wa a better fit for the child. </p>
<p>I am paying horroriffic taxes because I live in an excellent school district. I chose this district for the option of sending my kids to public schools, but while able to do so I have sent my kids to private schools because they were a better fit for them. There were any number of scenarios where they would have gone to the public schools, and I am grateful that they are a good choice. However, despite my financial support and interest in keeping such schools top quality, it seems that I would not be a voice that the school board would want to hear even though I would bring the extra dimension of having had and having kids in the parochial and independent schools in the area. I often make suggestions at my younger son’s Catholic school based on what I have seen at the independent school where my other kids went, and what my public school is doing. One would think a diversity of opinions and knowledge would be valued, especially when the person does not have the bias of a child in the system which so many if not all in the system now have.</p>
<p>“why are privates schools more secure necessarily?”</p>
<p>I don’t think they would necessarily; but they probably would in DC. The elite DC schools on the list have had a lot of experience with foreign and domestic luminaries and their children. Gore’s children went to private school like Chelsea.</p>
<p>The private schools in DC have a fair amount of green space between the streets and the buildings. Most of the public schools are right on the street. Even ones in the residential neighborhoods.</p>
<p>Just a note – the girls were in DC today with their mom visiting schools. Secret Service was spotted at Georgetown Day. The girls also had a White House visit, hosted by Laura Bush, to see their new digs. [Obama</a> girls tour potential schools](<a href=“http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15731.html]Obama”>Obama girls tour potential schools - POLITICO)</p>
<p>According the article, public schools are still under consideration, with Lafayette Elementary a possibility. </p>
<p>(I’m thinking Georgetown Day is a likely choice – it has a strong history of diversity and educational philosophy in sync with the Lab School in Chicago – but they are also visiting Sidwell Friends and Maret – see [Michelle</a>, Malia and Sasha Obama in Washington looking at schools](<a href=“http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/11/michelle_malia_and_sasha_obama.html]Michelle”>http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/11/michelle_malia_and_sasha_obama.html) )</p>
<p>The major DC-area private schools have a lot of experience dealing with the security needs of children of major political figures without overly restricting the students’ lives. Also, they’re good schools, which is not something that you can say about most DC public schools.</p>
<p>If I lived in DC, there is no way that my kids would have attended public school. I don’t expect the Obamas to do anything different from what I would have done. I think the Carters were a little bit nuts about putting Amy in public school even though she couldn’t be anything close to a normal student there. The Clintons and the Fords handled things better, and both of the schools they chose (Sidwell Friends for Chelsea Clinton and Holton-Arms for Susan Ford) have fine academic reputations. (Actually, the public schools in Bethesda, where Holton-Arms is located, also have fine academic reputations, but Susan Ford wouldn’t have been eligible to go to school there because she was a DC resident, not a Bethesda resident.)</p>
<p>I’m not sure how I’d feel about the disruption and other issues the world’s most famous kids would cause if we were a current family. Does the school become a target? Thoughts?</p>
<p>I think that if you send your kids to Sidwell Friends or its few equivalents in the DC area, you expect this sort of thing.</p>
<p>I agree that Obama girls should attend a private school. It boils down to ensuring Security for the girls. </p>
<p>I doubt anyone on this thread would want Obama’s kids to be in harms way just to prove a point on the importance of public education.</p>
<p>from the article:
</p>
<p>Hey, that’s where I went to school! 
It’s not exactly near the White House.</p>
<p>Obama went to Punahou, Hawaii’s top private school. A lot of parents find the right fit in private school educations. They still pay taxes and support the publics but have the right to send their children where they wish. It’s America.</p>
<p>I just realized an additional (obvious) logistical problem with the public school option. Both girls are still in elementary school. If they went to a public elementary school in 2 years they would have to worry about junior high school and sending the girls to two different schools. What a pain that would be. I believe all the private schools at least have a lower/middle/high school on the same campus.</p>
<p>Georgetown Day has lower and middle school on the same campus with the high school a good ways off. Sidwell Friends has lower school in Bethesda, MD, while middle and upper school are several miles away in DC proper. Maret is all on one campus. All the schools (including Lafayette) are pretty far away from the White House.</p>
<p>There are some things that will be issues for the Obama girls and their parents, and some things that won’t be.</p>
<p>Will be issues: security, fitting in, feeling normal, missing Chicago, changing schools in mid-year, privacy, paparazzi, adolescent rebellion</p>
<p>Won’t be issues: getting to and from school, harmonizing vacation schedules, living in a neighborhood where the other kids don’t live so it is tough to get them to come over to your house to play</p>
<p>Most kids are pretty flexible. I had to go to new schools every two to three years as a kid. Washington DC schools in particular are used to transient populations. I’m sure that the schools will do their best to make the Obama girls feel welcome. They’ll be fine. All those private schools have big feeder areas - I don’t think they’ll be further from the school than other kids.</p>
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<p>I think that quite a lot of Iolani parents/alumni have just acquired dartboards with your name on them, madbean. They seem to think that there are two top private schools in Hawaii.</p>