Obama Girls to Enroll at Sidwell Friends
An Exercise of School Choice
The Obamas' choice of Sidwell Friends for their daughters is a rational choice for parents of means-tuition is close to thirty thousand dollars a year-but politically dubious. Sidwell Friends has been educating the children of the Washington elite for decades; Richard Nixon's daughter Tricia went there, as did Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea. Sidwell Friends is well experienced in the accommodation of the security needs
And, of course, it would be madness for any parents of means to actually send their children to a public school. While Washington D.C. public schools have improved under the reform minded D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee, they cannot compare to Sidwell Friends in the quality of education provided.
However, by exercising a rational judgment as parents, Barack and Michelle Obama leave themselves open to criticisms of hypocrisy as politicians. The Obama's have been quite loquacious in their support of the public school system and in their opposition to school choice programs. Incidentally Chancellor Michelle Rhee is a warm supporter of Washington D.C. pilot school choice program, now under threat of cancellation by the Democratic Congress.
The Obamas are not alone in exercising their preference for private schools for their children while vigorously denying that choice to parents of lesser means. A Heritage Foundation study tells an interesting tale about members of Congress:
"In 2007, The Heritage Foundation updated this survey and found that 37 percent of Representatives and 45 percent of Senators in the 110th Congress sent their children to private schools-almost four times the rate of the general population.
"Based on the survey results, if all of the Members who exercised school choice for their own children had supported school choice in policy, every major legislative effort in recent years to give parents school choice would have passed."
The Obamas will likely get a pass for this "school choice for me but not for me" attitude, just as the Clintons did when they sent Chelsea to Sidwell Friends. The teachers unions are too powerful for any Democrat to cross with impunity, in less the Democrat is very brave like Michelle Rhee. It seems that the purpose of education policy under the new "hope and change" regime will be to preserve public schools as the only institution for education for the vast majority of Americans and not necessarily do much educating. Mores the pity.
Sources: Obama Girls Will Go To Sidwell Friends, Richard Liebey, Washington Post, November 22, 2008
How Members of Congress Practice Private School Choice, Evan Feinberg, The Heritage Foundation, September 4th, 2007
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentThis isn't hypocrisy. In fact, if you actually researched the issue before developing diarrhea of the mouth,you would know that Barack and Michelle actually had a little spat over the fact that Barack wanted them in public school and Michelle preferred private. Barack didn't think it would be a good reflection with the economy in the shape that it is in, but Michelle was seriously concerned with security, and rightfully so! She is a mother and it just so happens that those are the "first children". So, nonetheless safety prevailed. Get over it. If you were President, I doubt you would have your kids in public school.
Hi, So Obama is hoodwinking the liberals! What was the talk about public schools in the campaign? Oh, yes, that was to pull the wool over the liberal lemmings!! What a shame!
We just don't understand...................(smile)
If I were in the Obama's shoes, my reasoning would be similar to theirs. It involves no hypocrisy at all, but three important considerations. First, their children should get a first-class education at an institution also experienced in handling their security needs. Second, all children deserve a first class education, and this requires far more support, at all levels of government, for public education than is currently available - a policy President-elect Obama is likely to promote. Third, among public school systems, Washington DC ranks very low in terms of quality and safety.
I think it would take considerable political bias to see a conflict between support for improving public schools and a decision not to send one's child to a public school which has not yet been given the support it needs to provide a high quality education.
I agree with Shanika. The rules always apply to everyone else. But we must remember, they know what's best for us lowly commoners.
Aahh the hypocrisy. Great piece.