Obama Kids To Attend Private D.C. School

Obamas Choose Sidwell Friends For Sasha And Malia; Same School That Joe Biden's Grandkids Attend

(AP)  President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen Sidwell Friends School for their two daughters, opting for a private institution that another White House child, Chelsea Clinton, attended a decade ago.

"A number of great schools were considered. In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now," said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama.

She said Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, "bring with them a number of security and privacy concerns that come with being part of the new first family — and the school they've selected is positioned to appropriately accommodate that."

She also said that Sasha and Malia had become good friends with Vice President-elect Joe Biden's grandchildren, who attend the school.

Sidwell is a private Quaker school with a campus in northwest Washington for grades 5-12 and another in suburban Bethesda, Md., for kindergarten through fourth grade. Malia is in fifth grade and Sasha is in second grade, suggesting that the girls would attend schools at different locations.

Michelle Obama and her daughters visited Sidwell and another elite private school, Georgetown Day, earlier this week. The soon-to-be first lady visited both schools last week, without her daughters.

Lelyveld said that while public schools were considered, the Obamas felt that a private school was in the best interest of their children. The two girls currently attend a private school in Chicago.

"Mrs. Obama is the product of public education on the South Side of Chicago and she believes strongly in the importance of good public schools for all kids," Lelyveld said. "The Obama administration intends to work closely with the school systems in the years to come to ensure quality public education is available to all kids."

Jimmy Carter's daughter, Amy, went to a public school, but Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton chose Sidwell for Chelsea. Al Gore III, the son of former Vice President Al Gore, also attended Sidwell.

Tuition at the lower school is $28,442 and $29,442 at the middle and upper schools.

Malia and Sasha Obama currently attend the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where Michelle Obama is on the board.

[deathofusa]

Wow. $60,000 a year? So much for change. What about all the other kiddies of D.C.? Are they going to get to go to private schools that cost $60,000 a year? Didn''t Obama say he wanted the same for EVERYONE? Hypocrit. YES WE CAN!

[miriambk]

The greatest issue is the girls'' security; Sidwell-Friends, in addition to be excellent, can provide that safety. Also, they''ve (S-F) been down this road before with Chelsea Clinton. People can argue that they should be attending a public school, but let''s face it; their dad has just been elected the leader of the free world, and their security needs are different.

[lalabradle]

Wow. $60,000 a year? So much for change. What about all the other kiddies of D.C.? Are they going to get to go to private schools that cost $60,000 a year? Didn''''t Obama say he wanted the same for EVERYONE? Hypocrit. YES WE CAN!


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Posted by deathofUSA at 05:37 PM : Nov 21, 2008
+ report abuse

Oh yeah, like if you were president you would have your kids in public school. Please!!!!! And anyway they are paying for that themselves. So what is your problem?

[leeanna58]

So what is your problem?

Posted by lalabradle

The problem is that six blocks from the White House there are public schools in dire need of attention. It is true that there are security concerns for the children of the new President, but there are security concerns for all of the other children in Washington DC. If the Obama children were to attend public school, the increased security needed would benefit all of the children at that school. But, oh well. I hope they enjoy their private school.

[sandy19731]

I was hoping that the public school would be chosen and improved as a result. But, we all want what is best for our children. Let''s not criticize and hope that all public schools receive the attention they deserve. They certainly did not during the past eight years.

[cdfoxtrot5]

Wow. $60,000 a year? So much for change. What about all the other kiddies of D.C.? Are they going to get to go to private schools that cost $60,000 a year? Didn''''t Obama say he wanted the same for EVERYONE? Hypocrit. YES WE CAN!

Posted by deathofUSA

I lived in DC and it has among the crappi_est schools in the country. It''s not a matter of money. They spend more per head than almost anywhere in the world. I wouldn''t want President Obama to destroy his kids lives by sending them to terrible schools just to please ignorant people like you.

[downsteamjim]

Is there anyone on this planet that is surprised?

[downsteamjim]

azure11: So black students present a threat to Obama while rich mostly white students do not. Sounds close to racism.

[clovisbuford]

"Is there anyone on this planet that is surprised?
Posted by downsteamjim at 06:40 PM : Nov 21, 2008" I am certainly not obama and his wife have made it clear they are going to do whatever they think is in the best intersts of their children as parents . The public schools in DC are a mess. I don''t thingk the Obama''s feel the need to sacrifice their kids best interest on some kind of "political correctness" test imposed by mostly conservatives. I totally support public education ,but i paid for my son to go to private school when he struggled in public school , the private schoold didnt work either , but the deal is as a parent , no matter what your job title you have an obligation to look out for the interst of yoru child . Its not hypocrisy to say "public schools need and should be improved to provide a good eductaion" and send your child to private school if that is their best option.

[clovisbuford]

azure11: So black students present a threat to Obama while rich mostly white students do not. Sounds close to racism.
Posted by downsteamjim at 06:53 PM : Nov 21, 2008 now see downstraeam jim you have to m ake it an issue of race. thats not only ignorant but in this case a red herring , have you seen any of the reports on the DC schools? Iwouldnt if Iwas worried about my childs security going to school in *** kitchen , or bostoins south side , or a myriad of school districts across this country that are in trouble no matter what their racial make up . but you go there , youare good at it. I myself would think if Iwas making the argument would talk about it as liberal elitissm . , rather thatn a race issue but you know whatever floats your boat . When Ms obama was asked waht her priorities were as first lady , she said her children , yet you are not inclined to take her at her word .. pretty interesting .

[clovisbuford]

"During the campaign, Mr. Obama praised D.C. Schools Superintendent Michelle Rhee for her commendable attempts to improve the Washington public school system, but the schools still have a long way to go and continue to underperform the rest of the country. Surely the Obamas care more about their daughters than the teachers unions and will place them in private schools. " from cal thomas who is somewhere to the right of atilla the hun . He actually suggested we nuke affghanistan after 9/11 ,turn it to glass i believe he said . ...right up your allley downstream jim .. a writer who is on an intellectual par with you .

[miriambk]

I don''t think the other children in the school were the issue; these two girls have had their names and faces splashed across newspapers, tv shows and internet sites all over the world. Unfortunately, this makes them huge targets for all sorts of sickos. They need to be in a school where their security is sound and where the secret-service can do their jobs effectively with minimal distractions. Also, Sidwell-Friends has the experience in dealing with the child of the POTUS. Having been down this road, they are the most experienced people to handle having these high-profile children.

[cdfoxtrot5]

The Obama kids didn''t run for office and have nothing to prove. They are private citizens and have a right to go to private schools if their parents choose and can afford it. Bush went to private schools. Was that a problem for any of you whiners??

[armyvet35]

In February, Obama seemed open to the idea of private-school vouchers. In an editorial board meeting with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, he was asked about his opposition to Wisconsin''s voucher program. If he saw more proof that vouchers are successful, Obama said, he would "not allow my predispositions to stand in the way of making sure that our kids can learn.... You do what works for the kids."

But at the American Federation of Teachers convention this year, Obama repeated his attack against spending government money to help low-income students attend private schools. He criticized John McCain''s school-choice reform as "using public money for private-school vouchers," and he called instead for overhauling public schools.

Have any of you considered this to be the issue?
One term president in the making as promises dont become reality

[downsteamjim]

DJ_IL: Nice spin. It is a shame that Obama opposes this for poor blacks.

[cdfoxtrot5]

Have any of you considered this to be the issue?
One term president in the making as promises dont become reality

Posted by armyvet35

Your desperation is highly entertaining.

President-elect Obama is two months away from inauguration. It''s a little early to talk about him reneging on campaign promises and being a one term president.

[clovisbuford]

His stance during his campaign clearly indicates that he will not allow Americans the same choice of where they send their children.
Posted by CBSisPravda at 07:13 PM : Nov 21, 2008 you have the same choice now oh FoxNewsIsJoeMccarthy, just its rather unaffordable to you , you are suggesting Obama help bankrupt the public schools sytem through a system of vouchers .There is not any definitive proof that oworks , the failure pof chater schools alone in texas has been huge . cough up the bucks there big boy , you are a free enterprise typoe of person , step up to the plate if you want your kids to go to private school you are of the type taht says health care is not a right . but you want private school to be .. a little dichotomy there , like schizophrenia in fact .

[armyvet35]

Have any of you considered this to be the issue?
One term president in the making as promises dont become reality

Posted by armyvet35

Your desperation is highly entertaining.

President-elect Obama is two months away from inauguration. It''''s a little early to talk about him reneging on campaign promises and being a one term president. Posted by cdfoxtrot5 at 07:17 PM : Nov 21, 2008

Desperation? Not at all. I didnt buy one thing he was selling. Nor did I vote based on someone being "the first" silly!

I take the Job of being the Commander In Chief a bit more serious than promises of free money from the government.

What I posted was a direct quote from him stating he does not think it is right for taxpayers to pay for poor kids to attend private schools with vouchers, which is a direct contridiction to his entire platform :)

I will enjoy this next 4 years as my hubby and I scrimp to make sure our kids get the education they need while people waiting for their free healthcare, free college money, and Obama to save the world...get a huge disappointment....

[miriambk]

If we all know who these little girls are, you can be *** sure that ever sicko, pervert, terrorist and radical knows then VERY well (gulp). I don''t think choosing S-F was a political move, I really don''t. As parents they had to make a choice on the best and safest place for their girls. And I have no doubt, they took the advice of the Secret Service on what the most secure location would be.

[downsteamjim]

DJ_IL: I believe that Palin would support attempts for poor black students to escape these pitiful products of liberal thought [aka DC schools]. I am sure you would join Obama in opposing any such actions.

[clovisbuford]

I will enjoy this next 4 years as my hubby and I scrimp to make sure our kids get the education they need while people waiting for their free healthcare, free college money, and Obama to save the world...get a huge disappointment....
Posted by armyvet35 at 07:25 PM : Nov 21, 2008 you should enjoy it you choose it .My folks sent me to a parochial school and d my 3 siblings on a lot less than yoiu mkae I wager , Isent my son to private schools as well for a time . we all still choose to support the public schoool process in this country as the most viable to educate the vast amjority of Americans , I went to public jr high , public high school. your attacks on a parent who has the financial where withal to send their children to private school in whatm is clearly a sub standard district is silly . What aabout the people who cant afford private school? they have a vested interest in changing the cultiure of the district they attend . they have a vested interstas voters in seeing public education is supported , whatever your views on it .as for Obama saving the world ,? most of us just want tostop the bleeding from the last 8 yrs and votign for more of the Mcsame was not going to do that . you are looking at the biggest financial crisis since the great depresssion and you wanted 4 more yrs of the same , joe six pack didnt agree , and it was evident at the polls . end of story

[downsteamjim]

clovisbuford: Apparently the school you attended did not have spelling or grammar as a required subject.

[clovisbuford]

DJ_IL: I believe that Palin would support attempts for poor black students to escape these pitiful products of liberal thought [aka DC schools]. I am sure you would join Obama in opposing any such actions.
Posted by downsteamjim at 07:32 PM : Nov 21, 2008 wow you are unrelenting on that black athing .. you doint think obama should make decisions based on what he thinks is best policy , but it should be based on m"poor black students " .. errr there are a lot of pols who dont agree with school vouchers and those that do , but seldom does either side make their case on racial make up .. keep beating that drum down stream jim .. i am sure its a winner , its obvious people wont vote for a candidate based on race ,even if they agree with him or her on the issues . can ya feel the eye rollage here?

[downsteamjim]

DJ-IL: I didn''t do anything to make Obama look bad. He did it all by himself. By the way, would you send your children to the D.C. public schools?

[armyvet35]

us just want tostop the bleeding from the last 8 yrs and votign for more of the Mcsame was not going to do that . you are looking at the biggest financial crisis since the great depresssion and you wanted 4 more yrs of the same , joe six pack didnt agree , and it was evident at the polls . end of story Posted by clovisbuford

Vote for change? what change? Soldiers will still be in wars, people will not have the healthcare, and the school systems will not get fixed no matter how much money you throw at them... and to be honest... I highly doubt a soldier in the military makes more money unless you are working in fast food. Regardless of the matter, schools not spending money where it needs to go is their doing, not the people that supply the money. Prime case and point... Hawaii''s Board of Educations trip to disneyworld to the tune of 1.7 million dollars vs my child not having a textbook for her Algebra II class...Obamas take on fixing schools will not work... throwing money to welfare recipients doesnt help many of them... it makes them dependent on it...

[miriambk]

Just curious, are Joe Biden''s grandchildren also now under the protection of the Secret Service? I know some type of security is provided, but I''m not sure to what extent. Thanks!

[clovisbuford]

by the way down stream Jim public education was supported by Thomas jefferson that great "liberal" and actually started here in 1643 in the Massachusetss bay colony a hundred years befor e we were a country ... can it do with some revamping ..yeah ,,but public education has been a hall mark of our republic , not just liberals .

[clovisbuford]

Obamas take on fixing schools will not work... throwing money to welfare recipients doesnt help many of them... it makes them dependent on it...
Posted by armyvet35 at 07:39 PM : Nov 21, 2008 and school vouchers cures that how? , not to ignore your whole rant , but yanno Mccain voted against a gi bill with expanded education benefits for our vets , now thats true support .. and welfare benefits as opposed to school vouchers isnt that an apples and oranges deal ? if you want to talk welfare lets talk corporate welfare . whens the last time that single mom down your block got 700 billion no strings attached?

[armyvet35]

Residents of Hawaii are the highest taxed people in this country....

Their public school system ranks in the bottom 4 in success.

I am not saying the Obvamas shouldnt have a choice to send their kids elsewhere, but if he takes that right, then how can he take away the very limited voucher program?

Sorry if I feel nothing for the teachers. Just like the military, they know the pay is bad, they had a choice tyo not go into teaching. I do not put teachers on such high pedestals. Great highly qualified and caring teachers are practically extint...

[clovisbuford]

clovisbuford: Apparently the school you attended did not have spelling or grammar as a required subject.
Posted by downsteamjim at 07:35 PM : Nov 21, 2008
nahhh jsut spell check or typing , but i graduated in Texas where bush was governor , we rank 48th in education and our republican gov rick perry as Gw bush claimed to be is texas proud. Of course when you cant argue the issues , you can attack the credibility of who you disagree with .. now if you could only claim I was african american

[clovisbuford]

Now tell me what president has had their children in public school?
Posted by DJ_IL at 07:47 PM : Nov 21, 2008
Carter was the lst one

[downsteamjim]

DJ_IL: If a person runs for president and supports alternatives to standard public education, I would not consider him a hypocrit for doing the same with his children.

[armyvet35]

and school vouchers cures that how? , not to ignore your whole rant , but yanno Mccain voted against a gi bill with expanded education benefits for our vets , now thats true support .. and welfare benefits as opposed to school vouchers isnt that an apples and oranges deal ? if you want to talk welfare lets talk corporate welfare . whens the last time that single mom down your block got 700 billion no strings attached?Posted by clovisbuford

Alot here so I will take one at a time...

School vouchers.. let parents decide what is best for their schools by providing a little less than half the money the school gets per child they are teaching... the school keeps the rest. Vouchers only pay a portion of the costs and the parents pay the rest. The public school on the other hand keeps that money and can use towards other students and class needs

[clovisbuford]

Clovis, there is a big difference between the carter years and today. Some of the things that we see today did NOT happen back then
Posted by DJ_IL at 07:53 PM : Nov 21, 2008 err big boy youasked a speicific question ... you got an answer that was factual .. put your google fu on it or your wikki-kwando . its prety obvious what side of this issue Iam on , we are all allowed our opinion , but the actual facts are just that . and that was fact . shrugs

[rushlimpdrug]

well now that''s change.

that was one bold decision by
a fresh newly elected pres

there will be more,
how about a clinton in the admin?

[clovisbuford]

School vouchers.. let parents decide what is best for their schools by providing a little less than half the money the school gets per child they are teaching... the school keeps the rest. Vouchers only pay a portion of the costs and the parents pay the rest. The public school on the other hand keeps that money and can use towards other students and class needs
Posted by armyvet35 at 07:52 PM : Nov 21, 2008 there are several pilot programs out there but bwefore we divert huge sums of money to it Iam waiting on empirical evidence , some have had great success , the majority in texas have been failures, Iam open to education reform , on not only vouchers , but standards , NCLB and teaching to the test , a host of issues. it still doesnt equate to the question of where obama sends his kids and why , as prez ato say oh I dont have the same eduicational choices as teh president of the usa kids , or to be fair say the the progenty of the CEO of exxon is a no brainer . nothing you can do with a charter school and school vouchers is going to change that.

[clovisbuford]

well now that''''s change.

that was one bold decision by
a fresh newly elected pres
there will be more,
how about a clinton in the admin?
Posted by rushlimpdrug at 08:01 PM : Nov 21, 2008 angry liberals to the left , angry conservatives to the right .. oh whats he to do ? the best he can , which is why i voted for him. and by the way he is still 2 months from office , and if you effers on the right had been near this vocal on your own prez , we would not be in near this fix . you guys have fun arguing .

[armyvet35]

but yanno Mccain voted against a gi bill with expanded education benefits for our vets
Posted by clovisbuford

Glad you asked as I am a vet myself!
It is apparent you did not research anything about what that bill was attached to or how it would be paid for and by whom. it was revised many times and not supported by both sides in certain instances. As nothing is free in this country, they also tried to put limits of time in service on that bill to discourage people from serving 2 years and getting out with FULL Gi Benefits, as well... the democrats wanted to attatch the associated 10 billion cost to taxpayers making 150k or more as well as small business america. I have the GI bill... I served 14 years, I paid for it and earned it.

Please dont spew politico rhetoric about things you dont really know about...

[sblake63]

How nice for Obama''s kids to be able to go to a privates school yet Obama and the vast majority of liberal democrats oppose school vouchers. One of their main arguments is how it will harm public schools - Well DUHHHHHHHHHHHH! There would be a mass evacuation of students from public schools by their parents. And perhaps public schools would have to raise standards to compete for students - Hmmm sounds like good old American competition doesnt it? teachers unions would fight it to the bitter end!

The teachers union (NEA) strongly opposes vouchers, well duh their main focus is protecting teachers benifits and pay. But if you visit their website it''s all about the children (ha ha ha). Oh yes the seperate of church and state argument. Yes it''s true the vast majority of the parents requesting vouchers would be parents wanting to send their kids to Christian schools. Why? Maybe because schools for the most part are shooting zones (Public). But then again if parents wanted to send their kids to secular private schools, you dont see us conservitives fighting that - So much for the "seperation" argument.

Time for another civil war if this socialist goes to far!

[armyvet35]

Passing rates for students remaining in open enrollment charter schools for two consecutive years increased 6.9 percentage points in reading from 1999 to 2000 and 9.1 percentage points in math.
Passing rates for students who remained in charter schools serving primarily at-risk students for two years improved at a greater rate: 11.7 percentage points in reading from 1999 to 2000 and 6.9 percentage points in math.
3. Performance of students enrolled in charter schools improved at a rate greater than that of traditional public school students. A recent Texas Public Policy Foundation study compared the performance of students in charter schools and traditional public schools using the Texas Learning Index (TLI), which is derived from raw TAAS scores and controls for variations across years and grades. For the years 1999 and 2000:

Students who stayed in charter schools for two years experienced a TLI increase of 1.6 points in reading and 2.8 points in math; by comparison, index scores for students who stayed in traditional public schools increased 1.4 points in reading and 1.5 points in math. [See Figure II.]
The progress of at-risk students in charters and traditional public schools was roughly the same, while the progress of non-at-risk charter school students (1.5 point increase in reading and a 2.5 point increase in math) far outpaced the progress of comparable students in public schools (0.7 point increase in both reading and math).

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by clovisbuford at 08:09 PM

You make too many assumptions.

I don''t know if conservs are angry
but it is funny that a "change" pres
for the people opts out of having his
kids near the "people" because that is
not in their best interest at this time.

Follow the bouncing ball. . . .

[armyvet35]

if you want to talk welfare lets talk corporate welfare . whens the last time that single mom down your block got 700 billion no strings attached?Posted by clovisbuford

You probably dont want to talk with me about welfare of any kind, as I have known a few welfare abusers to include someone in my family. Which by the way... doesnt work yet got a decent tax rebate and tax refund this year on top of her other "benefits"

As far as blaming this admin for all the woes of these institutions failing? I believe a whole bunch of people are responsible for that mess to include those people who bought housing they couldnt afford...but this subject is for another forum...

[cdfoxtrot5]

I will enjoy this next 4 years as my hubby and I scrimp to make sure our kids get the education they need while people waiting for their free healthcare, free college money, and Obama to save the world...get a huge disappointment....

Posted by armyvet35


So, you''re hoping for a disastrous four years?
Not very rational.

Did you have any problem with Bush and the Republicans and their illegal war, throwing away potentially trillions of taxpayer dollars?

President Obama may or may not live up to the high hopes people have for him, but, in no way, shape or form will he be the disaster that Bush has been.

You may or may not get the school vouchers you seem to want, but most people would probably feel there are far more important things to worry about than if your kid goes to this or that school.

[armyvet35]

So, you''''re hoping for a disastrous four years?
Not very rational. Posted by cdfoxtrot5

No just living in reality, which is where I like to stay grounded. Because I do not agree with voting yes to a platform of empty "change" makes me not rational?
You do understand those promises will not come? And when that happens people turn on you like a wild dog out for blood...

Our troops coming home from Iraq in his first 8 months of presidency? Funny stuff there... guess that will have to be proven wrong, which I am most sure it will.

Healthcare for everyone in America? Interesting, but again not even possible at this point.

Like I said I bought into not a word of it, so I dont have anything to be dissappointed in...

[armyvet35]

Did you have any problem with Bush and the Republicans and their illegal war, throwing away potentially trillions of taxpayer dollars? Posted by cdfoxtrot5

Funny thing about that whole Bush and Republican war....Last I saw it was Congress that sent our soldiers to War... Republicans and Democrats alike... and typically playing the whole "I was fooled Card" while soldiers are dying on an election year doesnt fare well with me. Yes that would be from the likes of Hillary, Kerry, Edwards and many oithers that sent our soldiers to war. So if you ask me who I would more than likely be pissed at about the war? No it would not be the ones that sent the soldiers and are now saying "Stay the COurse" it would be the ones that had no regards for our soldiers when they sent them ... and then stabbed them in the back when the polls showed their voters were not happy... have some convictions for goodness sakes, or take your lumps (bad decisions) like a man... quit pointing blame...


If people truly wanted change.... and were upset with these wars, the budget or anything else going on... well then why would they put those same people right back in office? not one person in congress that voted yes to war should have been re-elected regardless of what party they were from...

[armyvet35]

You may or may not get the school vouchers you seem to want, but most people would probably feel there are far more important things to worry about than if your kid goes to this or that school.Posted by cdfoxtrot5


Yes I do... like paying for 4 private educations for my kids while my husband does a tour of duty in Afghanistan... its only 12 months and the election is over.... so now our soldiers go back to /ignore status.

That aside... how Ironic I live in one of the most racist places I have ever hard the misfortune to live in... and here it was... not in Japan, Korea or Bosnia... but in Hawaii....The United States...the Irony? Dont think I have to explain that one....

[dnsallday]

I hope and pray his children will be a little safer in a private school. It is difficult to believe and accept that some of the people out there among us are so sick, evil and violent.

[think-people]

PRIVATE OR PUBLIC?

Anybody on this commentary complaining about Obama''s choice to send the girls to ''that particular private school'', show their ignorance and lack of wisdom to appreciate the highly unique situation this set of parents face as they try to find what is best and appropriate for the girls.

Having the girls attend any of D.C.''s best public schools, would have added a host of complexities for the Secret Service, the White House, the public school, and the students & faculties of that public school. Think people before you render a judgment and make yourself sound stupid.

[jowand]

It''s not true it''s not true Obama still supports a Public School education, for other peoples children.

[downsteamjim]

To Think-People: Why wouldn''t there be similar problems if the girls attended a private school? ''Think before you render a judgement and make yourself sound stupid.''