Barack Obama faces school choice issue - this time, at home

by Susan Wagner (Subscribe to Susan Wagner's posts) Nov 12th 2008 9:01AM

Categories: Celeb Parenting, In The News, Education

Barack Obama has been busy this week making decisions about his White House staff in advance of January's inauguration. But the President- elect has also been consulting with the Mom-in-Chief about a hot-button issue: school.

When the Obamas take up residence in the White House, Sasha and Malia will of course be heading to school -- but where? DC boasts a wealth of school choices -- public and private, traditional and charter; language immersion and arts curriculum -- but which one will the Obamas select? And how will that choice influence America's perception of the First Family?

No matter what choice the Obamas make, they will be criticized for it. A public school may pose a safety risk for their children, while a private school makes them elitists. But what seems to be getting lost in all of the name-calling and accusations is the simple fact that the Obamas are parents who are trying to make the best possible choice for their children.

Theirs is a decision that many parents can identify with; Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger writes that "School choice has been the primary factor in every move I've made as a parent. I've picked houses more expensive than I otherwise would have chosen, because they conferred a ticket to high-quality public schools." But, Shellenbarger confesses, one of her children still ended up going to private school, because that was the best fit.

I'm feeling for the Obamas right now -- my husband and I have been down this same road with our kids. When we finally chose to enroll them in a small Catholic school, we were criticized by family and friends who thought that this was the wrong decision -- we lived in a good school district, after all, and should have sent the kids to public school. But we weren't trying to make a statement with our choice; we were trying to meet our sons' educational needs, and this particular school did that best. I"m sure Barack and Michelle Obama will make a similar decison for their girls.

What is the most important issue for you in choosing a school? And if you could give the Obamas some advice, what would it be?

The new First Family(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Comments (12)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

julie 11-12-2008 @ 9:37AM

We decided to buy a house and move to a different suburb in lieu of paying for private school. It was not a question for us to send our child to public school where we lived. My husband and I both agreed that our child would not go to public school in the suburb in which we lived. We looked at several private schools and weighed the options of tuition vs. a mortgage. We decided that in the long run, the better investment would be a house in a better neighborhood and public school in that neighborhood. We were right!

Kirstie 11-12-2008 @ 1:19PM

When I was little, my family lived in Staten Island. The public elementary school I went to was excellent, but the IS and HS that I would have gone to were terrible schools. Catholic/private school enrollment in Staten Island is very high (the vast majority of my friends from work went to or still go to private, mostly Catholic schools) , but it's also very expensive, so my parents chose to move out of state, to suburban NJ. The district I went to is a much better public school system (although not without problems .. but what school is?) and I did do well there. I would have liked private school, though, and wanted to go to a Catholic high school if I could have. I worked for scholarships and a work-study program, but even with that help my parents couldn't afford it and I stayed in the public schools.

No regrets, though - they did do well by me and I got into a great college on almost a full ride based on my grades, so I can't complain!

Alexandra Edwards 11-12-2008 @ 11:10AM

As a public school teacher, I believe passionionately in the idea of free, high-quality, accessible education for everyone regardless of personal circumstance. I fight this righteous fight in my classroom every day for those in my charge. However, I am no less passionate in my charge as a parent to find the school of best fit for my child. I believe that the choice is not as simple as public vs. private, nor is it about image, money or the message it sends to the neighbors. It is all about what best meets the needs of the child concerned. Each child deserves a choice that makes them productive, happy, successful and valued, be it in the public or the private sector. Each child deserves to be treated not as chattle or as a political message but as the gift to the future they represent. I am confident that the Obama's understand this and will make the best choice for their girls from the inside out, as they should. What the rest of us need to do is respect their choice and respect their right to make that decision for their children.

Rosslynn 11-12-2008 @ 11:45AM

I am a mother of 3 girls. All 3 went to private school. When my oldest came to live with us, and we decided to put her in public school we put the remaining 2 in public school also. My oldest was in Junior high and the one we were zoned for was a terrific school, so none of us had a problem with that, but the elementary school was another issue. My husband and I went to meet with the prinicpal and look over the cirriculum for each grade (k and 2). We were very dissappointed with what we learned and saw. I spent WEEKS trying to figure out what to do....private school again.....different schools in our district.....driving to a different district? This is a HUGE decision for us parents. After much research and thought, we put our youngest 2 in a school 13 miles but an 45min drive (traffic) from our home. I made this drive EVERYDAY for 2 years, until we moved into the area. As parents we make many sacrifices for our children, and I do not regret those that I have made in order to assure myself that my kids are getting one of the best public school educations around. Would I prefer private school? Of course, but with three kids, and only one working parent, and until the state of Ca offers voucher programs then my kids will continue to attend public school.

Sorry for misspellings......its early and no coffee :D

Stephanie 11-13-2008 @ 9:00PM

Frankly, this is NOT our business. They know their girls and are likely learning more than any of us will ever know about raising children in the largest fishbowl in the world. The President-Elect and Mrs. Obama have agreed to sacrifice most of their privacy in accepting the challenges of the presidency. However, the education of their children is a family decision and we are NOT members of the family.

rebecca Biernesser 11-12-2008 @ 2:05PM

My husband and I are having these issues now. We moved out of state in the middle of the summer and moved to an area that had "The Best" schools and rented an apt till we learned the place better. I'm glad that we did this b/c it makes me 100% sure my child will not be attending this school next year.

It's a great school, high test grades, blah blah blah. Everything you look for in a school BUT for one thing. They do not want younger children in the school. Period. I was told point blank when I came to pick up work to help the teacher out (teachers rely on the parents for teacher helpers) that my baby (1 year old and in a stroller) WAS NOT allowed to be in the school. I was shocked. I have since told the office and the teacher that I will be happy to do whatever she needs, but I will be bringing my younger two children in to get what I need to do and then will be leaving to do it at home (which is what was planned in the first place...)

I choose to be a stay at home mom b/c of childcare costs and wanting to be involved in my children school. At his old school i was very involved, being a room mom, on the PTA board organizing the parent volunteers, etc. This is a huge change for us.

So now I'm looking at homes to buy and school that offer a better choice. Education isn't all about school and what's in the book. I want my other two children comfortable in running up to the school, so they can used to it. I want my oldest to know that I care enough to be at the school helping in any way possible. And we will be picking a school that allows us those chances.

kate2 11-13-2008 @ 11:38AM

Rebecca - If you're a SAHM couldn't you figure out a way to work out a babysitting coop with other mothers in the same situation? That's what I did when I was in your situation. While it may seem unfair to you for you child's school to have a no younger-sbs policy, it really is distracting to the students and teachers when a cute, little sib comes into the classroom. You probably attempt to keep them quiet/by your side but they are very distracting to the students - so much more so than when "just another adult" shows up. You should try to work something out with the other moms so you can continue to volunteer as well as respect the needs of your school.

rebecca Biernesser 11-13-2008 @ 12:02PM

I have thought about it, but at the same time, I was apart of a school that did allow younger siblings to be at the school and it was no different then another parent showing up. So I know it can work and you would be surprised at how much it's not a distraction when it's a common thing.

On another note...I do not know anyone where we have moved to. It's a completely different area and don't know where to go to really meet the people. I moved from a town that I have live my entire life to somewhere I don't know.

kate2 11-13-2008 @ 1:36PM

Rebecca - I have been a teacher to 1st-5th graders for years in various school environments; believe me - it IS a distraction when a young sibling comes to the classroom. Some teachers may appear accepting of the practice as to not offend parents, but overwhelmingly, teachers prefer that siblings not visit classrooms.

Even if you don't know anyone, how about asking the teacher if there are any other parents in your childs class that are in the same boat. I'm sure if you just called a few parents you could easily work out something, if you really want to.

Sorry to everyone else for getting off topic!

SKL 11-12-2008 @ 4:27PM

I do not care where the Obama children go to school. I believe in school choice for everyone, including Obama. In addition, I believe that no matter what Obama's stance is on education, his daughters should not be punished by being forced to go to a school that is not appropriate for them. The fact that B.O. is a hypocrite shouldn't harm his daughters.

However, I find it ironic that PD and its readers give Obama a free pass here. I recall some really ugly comments here to the effect that Sarah Palin has no right to say her daughter made a "choice" to parent her child since Palin is pro-life and thus doesn't support unlimited abortion "choice" for others. People just don't realize how deeply bias affects their judgment.

Rosslynn 11-12-2008 @ 8:25PM

Real quick. I would just like to point out to Stephanie and SKL that no one here is trying to butt into the private family life of the Obama's nor are we giving Obama a "free pass" on anything. Right now this post is about school, and the lenghts we as parents go to to see our children get the best education we can provide for them. The other aspect here is private vs. public schools. Since this is something that OUR president-elect and his family are going thru, it makes it a great time and topic for PD readers.

Lets stay on topic, and not attack anyone for previous comments or posts.

Karen 11-12-2008 @ 11:08PM

The original post asked for advice. My advice is to give all parents the same choice that they have in where to send their children. They will choose the best school for their children. I just want the right through vouchers, charter schools, (etc.) to be able to do the same thing.