Comments on: Public school for the Obama girls, please?

By: Terry D - CT

Terry D - CT — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:44:33 +0000

This is a private family decision. Stay out of it.

By: Patricia saintilma

Patricia saintilma — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:43:40 +0000

Sending your kids to Public School is not a good idea. It's not because it PUBLIC SCHOOL. For Security reason First Black Man to be the President Of this Great Nation. You need to make sure that you full control of your family, don't trust anybody.........

By: Sonya

Sonya — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:47:21 +0000

I hope that he does NOT send his girls to a public school. Honestly, it is every parents dream to have their child educated far better than their own education. And for that reason, if they want to send them to private school, I say of course!

By: D. A. Reuter, Bremerton, WA

D. A. Reuter, Bremerton, WA — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:36:42 +0000

Mother Jones:

Keep in mind the security of these children, they would be an easy target for terrorist if they are put in the wrong educational setting. Remember that we live in a post-9/11 world.

By: Jackie in Dallas

Jackie in Dallas — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:18:05 +0000

Oh, to the poster about who was going to pay for private schooling...we are. We pay the President a fairly hefty salary, and undoubtably, the girls tuitions will come from that. The Clintons sent Chelsea to a private school without fanfare, as did the Carters, and the Kennedys. And even if it were a "perk" of the office, I seriously doubt that the extra expense of ensuring their safety at a public school would be any less than the tuition AND their security at a private school.

By: Jackie in Dallas

Jackie in Dallas — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:12:56 +0000

While I sympathize with the writer's desire to improve education in public schools, truth of the matter is that a public school does not offer the security that a private school has. Those two precious children will be targets, just as much as their parents will be. Every nut case in the U.S., and even some from outside our borders will home in on Washington, D.C. At least at a private school, the odds are that the girls can have what approximates as a more normal environment and the Secret Service will have more control of their safety.

I believe that President Elect Obama, and his First Lady will likely have educational improvements high on their list of priorities. He is, after all, and educator himself.

By: Saad, NJ

Saad, NJ — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:51:21 +0000

Obama and Michelle, it is your and solely your choice what you chose to do with Sasha and Malia. If you send them to public school, hats off to you. If you chose a private school for reasons including but not limited to 1) they receive better education and become brighter individual, 2) security reasons – you will be equally respected and understood.

However, my request to you is that do your best to make our public schools better. We are a great country – our public schools. if not great, should be very good. And they are not. Our children are the best investment we can make to make sure that we remain a great country. And their education the most important for that reason. Putting the above together, Public Schools should be, if not the top, one of the priorities.

Realizing the above is no rocket science. We all know that. But this beautiful letter by Mother Jones has revived my spirit to ask you to invest time and resources in Public Schools for the sake better future and I will continue to asking you that, very respectfully.

By: Kay

Kay — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:23:39 +0000

My husband and I both attended public school and intend to send our children to public school. The difference is my husband nor I are children of the president and to make an assumption that if it was good enough for us, it is good enough for them mentality is baseless. We are speaking of two innocent children who could be the target of heartless and dangerous minds. I trust President Obama and feel his interest in his family is far more rooted than mine. I think we can trust he and his wife to make the best decision for his family. I'm sure his critics will find fault in whatever he decides.

By: Curious

Curious — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:32:30 +0000

As a public school teacher I too think that it would be great for Obama's children to attend public school...but as a parent if safety was an issue it would be private or home school for my kids...

By: chuck

chuck — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:16:36 +0000

The kids have never been to a public school so it's just fitting that they continue their education in the private school. enough said-.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:39:46 +0000

Didn't YOU make the decision where your kid(s) go to school?....right, so M/M Obama will make THEIR OWN DECISION where their kids will go for their kids education.

Let it go.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:23:25 +0000

We will see how Barack views public education. I hope that he does not send his kids to private schools. The message will be that the public school system is not good enough for his kids but is plenty good enough for you and your kids. Come on Barack, let's walk the walk.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:18:18 +0000

They should send their children to private school for two purposes – security and quality. Then everyone needs to stop saying that money will fix the problem of public schools. DC spends $13,187 per pupil (2002). The highest in the nation. DC schools have 4 problems, Management (being fixed by Rhee), teachers (also being worked by Rhee), students (don't know who is going to fix them) and parents (ditto last comment). If it were my children I would send them to private schools and make no bones about why. I would not be hypocritical by not approving of vouchers for other parents who feel the same way. It should be equal opportunity for all not just the wealthy Obama's of our society.

By: Romano

Romano — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:51:01 +0000

This request for Obama is stupid. So theirs father is president and if he send them in public school not just that they will be in greater danger and that state will spend much more money to secure them, becouase more people will need to secure them, but also paparazzies will be all over the plaice all the time.

It seems Obama's will become new Pitt-Jolie family for paparazzies, they will be gold for papaazzies, not just for US but world also.

I suppose market value of the Obama's photos will be a fortune and it is sure thing, Obama's will become new stars., no mater how Barack do the job.

By: lourdes torres

lourdes torres — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:44:38 +0000

Are u serious? The girls will have to be guarded 24/7 & so will Obama. Has anyone thought about their safety? I dont trust the same people that just set the black church on fire shortly af\ter the election. Honestly, I fear an attempt on Obama's life. I pray for him, his family & the people who risk their lives watching out for the first family's safety.

By: Chris, Ohio

Chris, Ohio — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:59:11 +0000

As a parent I would not send my children to a substandard school system, why would I expect President-elect and Mrs. Obama to send their children to one? From what I've read, it would be next to impossible to guarantee the safety of the two girls. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be for them to go from the safety and relative quiet of their current school to a public school in DC. Enroll the girls in private school and then work to fix ALL the public schools!

By: Jill (Oregon)

Jill (Oregon) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:11:40 +0000

I am sure that the spirit to send these girls to public school exists, however, the reality is this, they will not be able to attend a public school environment, there are to many issues dealing with security for these two girls.

By: Fay

Fay — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:40:10 +0000

These two precious children need to go to school where they are the safest. There are some things above policy and the children of the President definitely come before any of our wants and needs.

By: Julie San Diego, CA

Julie San Diego, CA — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:13:58 +0000

Barack and Michelle should make the decision that is appropriate for their family.

Some of my friends send their kids to private school, some send them to public school, and some choose to homeschool. They all have their reasons and their reasons are appropriate for their particular family situation.

To ask two little girls to take on the responsibility of ensuring the DC school system gets improved is a burden too heavy for such small shoulders.

I went to a small public school with limited resources – no advanced placement classes, no foreign language classes, limited sports for girls, and virtually no arts and music classes. I would have jumped at the opportunity to attend a school with more choices.

I contrast my public school education with my young nieces who attend a very good private school in England. The last time I visited, one of my nieces showed me her art homework, an assignment to do a painting in the cubist tradition (think Picasso). She's 15. Then she asked me for help with her science homework – the assignment was to explain how a nuclear reactor and power generation facility works. Fortunately I could help because when I left public school, I made real efforts to make up for the gaps in my education.

You're not going to get these kind of challenges in public school. Barack and Michelle should consider what's best for their daughters.

By: Sarah Brown

Sarah Brown — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:52:18 +0000

It would be a nightmare for those children to try to go to public schools with all the security issues that could be such a huge threat to their wellbeing. Can you imagine what would happen if one of those girls were kid-knapped? .... by terrorists? The amount of security it would take alone would surely be disruptive and cumbersum to any sence of normalcy these girls might try to have. DC's parents need to get on the stick and fix their kids' schooling problems. Please, don't try to make these children take the brunt of all the ugly that is intrinsic to politics by sending them to public schools. If their father pleases the populus they're going to be on top, and if he dosen't, they're in the mud. He surely won't be able to please everybody all the time....
Don't make those girls into targets!