Obama children follow Chelsea Clinton's footsteps

oh surprise! surprise! yah, you hypocritial LIBERAL FRAUD! Wicked Shawka huh!!??! Thats right, its OK for YOU - the little people - to send your kids to public school dumps - while I VETO VOUCHERS so YOU CANT send your kids to private schools! Typical hypocritical Liberal - DO AS I SAY - NOT AS I DO!!!

great vote of confidence for the wonderful DC public schools. Yet, if I were them, I'd do the same thing. As Heidi said, everyone should have this same choice, with vouchers, if not for 28K, at least 5K for a parochial school.

--Wouldn't it be nice to see at least a few high-profile Democratic politicians send their children to public schools? Imagine the momentum behind improving our public schools that would have been created if Mr. Obama had made that choice.
While some may raise the specter of "safety" as the reason for Mr. Obama's choice-(despite the Secret Service detail!)-, my suspicion is that the DC schools just weren't quite up to snuff for his little darlings. Unfortunately, many DC-area parents who have come to the same conclusion about the public school system do not have the financial wherewithal to make that choice.
--As Mr. Obama walks down Pennsylvania Avenue on his inauguration day, he will inevitably see thousands of DC-area families cheering and waving American flags along the parade route. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Obama will take pity on them and resolve once and for all to give them the opportunity to liberate themselves from a dysfunctional school system. Now that would be what I call "change". --I'll hope for that to happen, but I won't hold my breath...

um, hello? the public schools (and I am a teacher in one of them-and it is not a dump) are not equipped to provide the security that the Obama children deserve and need.

Try some decaf, eh?

Richard Nixon's daughters also went to Sidwell; he was a Quaker.

Heidi, lay off the Haterade. I fear for your blood pressure...

LOL Heidi, chill out a bit. Why are you so angry? Try your argument again in a more rational and intelligent manner.

I don't know...maybe he put the welfare of his children before political concerns? Wouldn't any of us do the same?

What happened to "change". He has only selected Washington insiders to his cabinet posts. All of them are very liberal or partisan Democrats. So much for crossing the aisle and working to unite this country. I wasn't fooled by his message but I'm sure most of your readers were.

Heidi STFU
If DC public schools were better I have no doubt Malia/Natasha would go there. Michelle herself is a product of Chicago public schools.

heidi, you idiot. these are the two children of the president of the UNITED STATES. a PUBLIC DC SCHOOL cannot provide the sort of security they need. get a CLUE.

Heidi B.
Obama absolutely must send his children to a small school in a safe neighborhood if for no other reason than security. Beyond that, due to your grammer, it's impossible to understand what you're raving about. Sounds like you're dealing with some serious hostility issues. You may want to talk to someone.

To all the right wingers clamoring for vouchers- Do you really think that a voucher for $7,000- $10,000 will open up private schools for the masses? Take a look at the cost of private school; $30, 000 is just the starting point. (Add books, transportation, extracurriculars etc.) Dangling vouchers in front of the lower classes is just a red herring. Taking that money away from public schools just further impoverishes the public schools.
The Obamas have the right and the means to send their children to whatever school they want. That doesn't mean they don't support public education.

Give the guy --and his kids -- a break. Who wouldn't do the same for his/her kids if put in the same circumstance??? DC public schools are nothing to write home about. Plus there are innumerable security concerns that couldn't be properly satisfied by the public school.

You don't know much about much, do you?

Oh shut up, if it was you and you had threats and security issues, wouldn't you care to make sure that your kids were safe?

Yo Heidi,

If you were President, would you seriously send your kids to public schools? I completely support public schools and my child will be attending Boston Public Schools. However, can the Secret Service and public school security actually protect the children of the President of the United States? It will be much easier on private property than on public school grounds. Additionally, given how President-elect Obama and his family are going to be assasination targets, public school just does not make doesn't make sense for the security of the children.

Easy there Heidi. I don't think Obama ever condemned people for sending their kids to private schools. You might also take into consideration that sending the president's kids to school presents unusual challenges that public schools may not be prepared to deal with. I'd venture a guess that your charge that Obama is a fraud says more about you're ability to think things through critically than it does about his integrity.

Go figure! As a former school board member, I am outraged by the hypocrisy. The left is full liberal frauds who say one thing and turn around a betray their words with action that tells us the real story of who they are.

Think of the children and their need for as "normal" an experience as possible. They need the protection that a smaller school can provide. Would a public school really want to accommodate them and all that would go with having the President's children in attendance?

Oh Heidi. How you make conservatives look so good. In case that's a foreign language for you, it's sarcasm. Roll with it. The first children have immense security concerns as well as personal concerns. No matter which school they go to, their presence will at -least- initially cause something of a disruption and at any school will sadly probably inconvenience people on some level. It'd be worse at a large public school for everyone involved... This is, in all truth, most likely the best choice not just for the Obama children but for their fellow students. So keep tirading, it's going to change tons :)

Good for them. I think this is a great decision for their daughters. I hope it works out as well as it did for Chelsea Clinton. Privacy and a great education. I guess the Heidi B's of the world really think for one minute that children in the glare of the public media could have a normal childhood in a public school. I think the Obamas are to be commended for not trying to make a political " we are normal folks" statement by subjecting their daughters to that. They want what is best for their children, and they want them to have a good shot at a "normal" life.

Though I NEVER would have sent my children to anything but a public school in our own nieghborhood, I am not the President elect of the United States in these shakey frightening times. Those girls and the children they will attend school with deserve to have the highest security and the least exposure to the media possible. As much as public schools deserve to be supported I feel the Obama's have made a solid choice.

Obama just a typical Liberal Hypocrite
Give the country vouchers so us little people can send our kids to good schools as well. I guess you would rather poor nonpriveleged kids be stuck in failing schools.

I guess you'll just keep letting the teacher unions paying you off.

I think the "security" and "privacy" concerns are well-founded. Do you really think that it is in the best interests of the children of the president of the United States to be going to a public school where their safety cannot be assured? You speak in very black and white terms and that is not the way things are honey. If I were in his position I wouldn't send my children to a public school and neither would you! Be real.

Do you think vouchers will get your kids a quality education? Will there be room at private schools if there are vouchers? Find out about educational choice.

That's right send your kids to a safe private school while all your voters are stuck in dangerous government schools which Obama thinks are great for the rest of us. He loves government schools and their teachers and unions which continue supporting him and the rest of the democrats and their agenda to make us all socialists. CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN what a joke. Monica is the only one he has not called back to work in the White House. By they way where is John Kerry? Who is John Kerry?

don't suffer the little children....they went to a U Chicago affiliated school. wait and see if his policies help to better the schools of DC. DC is in a bind -- having no representatives in govt. but, wouldn't it be great if the DC public schools were affiliated with DC universities and provided great and SAFE educations to all

Security issues? The Obama children will have a Secret Service detail assigned to them. If you have any doubts that those guys and gals can handle some high school bully then you are sadly mistaken. That argument is pretty lame. Privacy? I thought the president elect promised more transparency. It would be a great show of support if the Obama's sent their kids to the public school system. That act would show confidence that the teachers are capable of producing well educated children. If there are deficiencies then those deficiencies would be highlighted with a laser beam and could be addressed. Instead Obama is just dishing out the same elitist rhetoric that we have heard for the last 40 years, "do as I say, not as I do".

Why should people not be able to send their children to private school? As long as I pay taxes which support the public school in my community, if I send my child to private school there is one less child overcrowding the public school which my taxes support. In the case of the Obama children there are security issues all over the place. Frankly, it is in the best interest of children at the public school not to have secret service people all over the school distracting from their education. Very difficult to have secret service people in the bathrooms and locker rooms at public schools, checking out the showers and bathroom stalls. Why do people look for things to criticize? It is no one's business where the Obama's choose to educate their girls...and try to have them enjoy as "normal" a childhood as the situation can possibly be, while growing up in the spotlight. A small private school offers that. Good choice!

the national teachers union did not endorse pres-elect obama so he would send his children to the public system. they endorsed pres-elect obamma to ensure a steady flow of tax dollars towards there members.

There are so many reasons why what Mr. Obama and Michelle have decided to do regarding their daughters education make sense.
1. As stated by many other posters, their security is first and foremost as would it be for all children (I would hope) regardless of their status. I know it is for my kid. Why do you think so many states have optional school choice programs and busing to schools outside of their neighborhoods.
2. Hand in hand with this is the simple fact of education. My son attends a 5 Star A rated school here in Florida and I'm sad to say with the incredibly lax curriculum's across the nation his education (as most children in the US attending public school) is far below what I was learning 30 years ago. He learned more from me this summer trying to supplement his writing, he is actually ahead of the kids in his class now with English. Our country used to be #1 in Math and reading in the world and latest stats show we are now in the 3 digits. Many third world countries are teaching tougher and more advanced curriculums than we are.
Due to this we are taking our son out of public school next year and opting to home school him. This has nothing to do with the teachers. They are doing a great job and the bet they can with the standards set for them. Unfortunately basics such as handwriting and grammar logic are rarely taught in public school anymore if not at all.
Unfortunately in our country if you want your children to have an above standard education and to actually be prepared for serious work, you have to supplement their work, home school them or like the Obama's, put them in private school.

3. Since the Obama girls will need 24 hour protection, don't you think it's easier for the SS to do their jobs effectively with only 200 students to deal with than 2000? A small school is simply a logical choice when dealing with a security detail.

4. Finally there are the other students and parents to consider. As mentioned, it's going to be incredibly disruptive and distracting to the rest of the students and school to have the First Children and their Security Detail in constant attendance. A small school like this, is not only equipped to handle this type of disruption, particularly since they've done it before with Chelsey, but the children are more likely to adjust to the high profile classmates much quicker and focus on their own academics. Not too mention the transition for the girls would be easier as well.

To be honest, if we were in his shoes, there isn't a single person reading this that wouldn't do the exact same thing. Including you Heidi. So easy girl. That kind of close minded harsh thinking is what's throwing this country into the trash can of intolerance and stripping us of any semblance of brotherly love.

Smile more and say hello to everyone! It makes a difference!

1st of all a private school in this case is much needed due to the security reasons.....or do you people not care that a public school environment would put these two innocent children in harms way???

All these people complaining about Obama and their choice sending their children to private school. If I were president I would go as far as home schooling even to protect my kids. Forget he is president, he is a father first and foremost and has not forgotten what matters most to him in the world is the safety and protection of his children. I commend their choice for private school.

I looked up Amy Carter and her public school experience. I learned she was not even allowed to go outside at recess with the other kids. The playground was deemed too much of a security risk. Her freedom inside the school was also very limited -- again because of security risks. Chelsea was allowed outside with the other kids. So Obama's kids, if they were attending a public school, would be treated much more differently thn the other chldren than they will be at Sidwell.

There's a security risk everywhere and I thought the public schools are safe. If the public schools are good enough for the average kid then why is the "liberal elite" sending to private? The liberal elite will have you thinking they're one of the average comrades but don't kid yourself ... they're eating the cavier behind the curtain whether you like it or not.

Now why would anyone think a Democratic president wouldn't talk out both sides of his mouth? It's the same old same old; Do as I say, not as I do.

Transparency for the masses, but not for me!
Education for EVERYONE no matter what race, color, income level ....blah blah blah, I will make the school better, saver, blah, blah blah and tell you they are, except it really makes no difference cause I can aford to do what I want.
These things take time... and during that time if you can't afford to send your children to a better and safer school, oh well not my problem .. I can afford to do it and I will and call it in the name of security. Don't want my children to have to stay in at recess after all, so what yours have to stay in so they aren't attacked. Blah blah same old double speak.

obama's had made the right choice. after all they are the president daughters, therfore they will be needing protection 24 -7 , which will be hard at a public school.

so how hypocrites get into this , you are the hypocrites because if something was to happen you will be the first to say why the kids never send to a private school where they are no risk to your kids. so give the man a break and find something sensible to talk about. if you want your kids to go to private school then do what the president did get them registered and pay your money. what's the big deal. let the girls enjoy childhood and stop worry which school they attend.