The Obama School Scandal?

National Review Online: Public Schools Are Unacceptable To Pretty Much Anyone, Liberal Or Conservative

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Jonah Goldberg.

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Hypocrisy is an overblown sin. Better to be a hypocrite who occasionally violates his principles than a villain who never does.

I bring this up because the usual, and entirely expected, round of conservative complaints about Barack Obama’s public-schools hypocrisy has begun, and I’m finding it all a bit tedious.

The Obamas will send their two daughters to the expensive private school Sidwell Friends. Yes, that makes him something of a hypocrite because he is a vocal opponent of giving poor kids anything like the same option.

But you know what? Who cares? Personally, I would think less of the Obamas if they sent their kids to bad schools out of some ideological principle. Parents’ first obligation is to do right by their own kids.

In Washington, we have these arguments every time a rich Democrat sends his kids to private schools, which is very often. The real issue is why the public schools are unacceptable to pretty much anyone, liberal or conservative, who has other options. Maybe in the rich suburbs of New York or Los Angeles, wealthy opponents of school choice run less risk of being labeled hypocrites; they can skip the pricey private schools because their public campuses aren’t hellholes.

But most Washington public schools are hellholes. So parents here - including the first family - find hypocrisy a small price to pay for fulfilling their parental obligations.

According to data compiled by the Washington Post in 2007, of the 100 largest school districts in the country, D.C. ranks third in spending for each student, around $13,000 a pupil, but last in spending on instruction. More than half of every dollar of education spending goes to the salaries of administrators. Test scores are abysmal; the campuses are often unsafe.

Michelle Rhee, D.C.’s heroic school chancellor, in her 17 months on the job has already made meaningful improvements. But that’s grading on an enormous curve. The Post recently reported that on observing a bad teacher in a classroom, Rhee complained to the principal. “Would you put your grandchild in that class?” she asked.

“If that’s the standard,” replied the defensive principal, “we don’t have any effective teachers in my school.”

So if Obama and other politicians don’t want to send their kids to schools where even the principals have such views, that’s no scandal. The scandal is that these politicians tolerate such awful schools at all. For anyone.

The main reason politicians adopt a policy of malign neglect: teachers unions, arguably the single worst mainstream institution in our country today. No group has a stronger or better-organized stranglehold on a political party than they do. No group is more committed to putting ideological blather and self-interest before the public good.

Rhee has been pushing a new contract that would provide merit pay to successful teachers. The system is voluntary: Individual teachers can stay in the current system that rewards mere seniority or opt to join a parallel system that pays for superior performance. Many talented teachers would love the opportunity.

Alas, the national teachers unions insist that linking pay to results is an outrageous attack on the integrity of public schools. They have insisted that D.C. teachers not even be allowed to vote on the contract.

The Democratic Party continues to tolerate this sort of thing because public school teachers continue to be reliably liberal voters. And their unions cut big checks.

Obama, however, bragged about being different during his campaign. He declared himself independent from teachers unions and boasted his support for Rhee. But his recent appointment of Stanford professor - and teachers union apologist - Linda Darling-Hammond to head his education transition team is seen by many as a sign that reformers like Rhee can expect little support from the new White House.

And where are the Republicans? Well, if you want a good example of why hypocrisy isn’t the worst thing in the world, just look at the GOP. Because the party supports school-choice vouchers, it’s simply out of the debate. School choice has much to recommend it. But it’s no silver bullet, and vouchers will never gain full acceptance in rich suburbs.

School choice does immunize Republicans from the charge of hypocrisy, however. So rich Republicans can send their kids to ritzy private schools without fear of violating their principles. Good for them. Unfortunately, their principled insulation also makes them largely irrelevant to a debate in which people like Rhee could use all the help they can get.

[ausus-2009]

noloyalisti,

First I wonder if you have traveled extensively outside of the US (drug runs to Mexico don''t count). If you had, you would see that America is still the world''s leading nation. The EU is drowned in taxes and regulations and is now in a worse recession than the US (check the statistics). China is still suffering from a whole generation missing education during the Great Cultural Revolution. India - enough said. Russia isn''t sure if it wants to return to Communism or continue with mobster control. Nobody in Africa, the Middle East or Latin America could be called a great power. If America isn''t still the leading nation, who is?

[tipsyinct]

The end of our country came when we listened to the moron Ray Gun and started to let corporations have any power to run anything without strict government control. Now we are the most stupid ignorant people on earth. We don''''t even know what freedom is (at least a lot of us). A lot of us think it is mindless flag waving and killing women and children for oil. Doh!
Posted by noloyalisti at 01:11 AM : Dec 01, 2008

Firstly, America hasn''t "ended" yet, no where even close. We are still the most powerful country in the world. Secondly when did the word ''corporation'' become a bad thing? Things are not as black and white as you make them out to be.

[macusweil]

Cons are grasping at straws and gasping for air.

When they finally resolve to reform the party speaking true conservatism their movement will once again find traction. No more hidden agendas. The American people are tired of surprises.

Here''s five hot points for the new GOP conservative self starter:

1) learn that government is not the enemy - remember we''re conservatives not anarchists!
2) conserve govt spending improve effectiveness
3) reduce waste in both defense and domestic spending
4) conserve resources and the environment
5) follow the Constitution and international laws or change them (no more creative interpretations regarding torture, spying or anything else)

[rjs1955]

There are several bloggers (and the author of this article) here who have purposely not seen this situation, and much commentary about it, for what it is.

Irrespective of Obama''s support of public school education, sending his children to a provate school in no way is hypocritical... doesn''t even whiff of hypocrisy.
1. The safety of two children... (soon-to-be for the next four to eight years very publicly on stage) is paramount. The chosen school has experience in this area with past "first children."
2. No matter what happens nationally to improve education, under Obama, Bush or anyone else... there will be schools that frankly suck, PERIOD, and no one need feel or be made to feel as if there is a giving up of principles to avoid them. Besides, Obama''s children will be put under a microscope in 10 or 15 years with everyone looking to see if they are high/low acheivers, druggies, talented, criminal or what, and the retribution one day that Sasha and Malis could exact from Michelle and Barack would be mighty if they were given a substandard education, or were assaulted or otherwise endangered in a failed school system like DCs.

[johnsole1]

Quite simply, this story is NOT about an "Obama School Scandal," it is about the national disgrace that the majority of our public school have become. All of the social ills reported in the evening news happen in our public schools. Combine these problems with chronically underpaid and sometimes poorly educated teachers, fat cat administrators, and parents who just don''t think the education of their kids is their responsibility, and the state of our schools is no surprise. Did you ever notice that only the parents of the above-average students go to PTA meetings, participate in booster clubs, and show up to support their kids for sporting, academic, arts events? Did you ever wonder if there is a cause/effect thing going on here? As parents we need to foment change where we can, and the logical place to start is at home with our own kids. Next, take some time to learn about your school board members and then vote the bureaucrats out.

[grumpas]

The only reason public education sucks is due to Republican''s who spend their time trying to divert tax dollars to pay for religious education. They have allowed it to crumble because they want those tax dollars for their voucher schemes. I personally resent my tax dollars going to pay for children who are being taught hate in the form of religion.

[omnibus66]

The overriding concern for the Obamas has to be the safety of their children. The security costs to send them to a public school would probably be far greater than the tuition at the private school.

I''m sure that if they were to go to a public school, they could be tutored to make up for any shortfall of quality of the public school. So safety, not quality of education is the issue.

[runningralph]

I wonder what corporation noloyalisti works for or has ever worked for. I have worked for several. I can tell you that corporations are saddled with tons of regulation on every facet of their business.

[ofbyfor3]

I agrea with them. If they''''d wannt to put their kid in a Privacy School then thats up to thems. You know if they be like a republican then nobody aint'''' going to be say nothing ebout it. I cant not be waitin becaus next year I know the government gonna take care of my morgage and my benefits go up. This is gonna be a change I can believe and.

Posted by wgh922 at 07:39 PM : Nov 30, 2008

Take a hike, TROLL!!!

[ofbyfor3]

Why is it people can''''t see the truth, America was great ubtil we accepted ham''''s people,Now the crime is out of control and school''''s
are usless.America''''s decline can be traced back to equal rights and lowering standards and calling it equal. NOW AMERICA IS A JOKE TO THE WORLD, WE TURNED OUR BACK ON THE GOD THAT STARTED THIS COUNTRY AND ON OUR FATHERS THAT GAVE THEIR LIVES TO GIVE AMERICAN CHRISTIANS A BETTER LIFE. WE DESERVE WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICA FOR BEING SO STUPID AND GIVING OUR COUNTRY AWAY TO ANY MUSLIM THAT RANS FOR AN ELECTION.SCHOO MEANS NOTHING ANYMORE,GOING TO SCHOOL MEANS A FUTURE,america has no future,

Posted by chad55555 at 06:50 PM : Nov 30, 2008

Please take your garbage racism to your KKK site and off of this one.

[noloyalisti]

The end of our country came when we listened to the moron Ray Gun and started to let corporations have any power to run anything without strict government control. Now we are the most stupid ignorant people on earth. We don''t even know what freedom is (at least a lot of us). A lot of us think it is mindless flag waving and killing women and children for oil. Doh!

[strctrequity]

J. Goldberg, a whale of a front man for character assassination by articulation of falsehood as fact.
Should the Obama''s support public education? Absolutely! Will they, for their children? No! Why? because they are in it for themselves not for the egalitarian civic duty of belonging and creating an optimal environment in which neural plasticity flourishes,an emerging ethic for being one.

[strctrequity]

J. Goldberg, a whale of a front man for character assassination by articulation of falsehood as fact.
Should the Obama''s support public education? Absolutely! Will they, for their children? No! Why? because they are in it for themselves not for the egalitarian civic duty of belonging and creating an optimal environment in which neural plasticity flourishes,an emerging ethic for being one.

[strctrequity]

J. Goldberg, a whale of a front man for character assassination by articulation of falsehood as fact.
Should the Obama''s support public education? Absolutely! Will they, for their children? No! Why? because they are in it for themselves not for the egalitarian civic duty of belonging and creating an optimal environment in which neural plasticity flourishes,an emerging ethic for being one.

[liberate40]

Hillary Clinton sent her daughter to this school. Did the National Review find that ''scandalous''? It is not some public obligation for the Obamas to send their kids to public schools, it is a personal choice for any parents to make for their own kids.

[taniar74]

I do not see any problem! Obama keeps saying that much effort must be given to public education because the actual system sucks. So it seems quite logical to me he doesn''t send his kids to public schools in the meantime.

[justsane-2009]

"D.C. ranks third in spending for each student, around $13,000 a pupil, but last in spending on instruction. More than half of every dollar of education spending goes to the salaries of administrators."

but you want to blame the inadequacies of the public school system on the teachers??? it''s not teachers who change the curriculum on a regular basis; not teachers who mandate more assessment time than actual instructional time; not teachers who determine class size, the length of the school day, or any of the rest of a myriad of issues that impact student achievement. those things are controlled by administrators, who are answerable to politicians.

the teacher''s unions are no more responsible for the deplorable state of public education than the uaw is responsible for the demise of the big three auto makers. in both cases, highly paid people in executive positions made poor decisions for years, and when their systemic failures came to light, they blamed it on the workers on the front lines. that''s so much easier than accepting responsibility, don''t you know, and union-bashing is really quite popular, so it all works out...except that the problems never get solved!

[jimmydonn]

Hahahahahahaha! So this is the best they can come up with? The Obama%u2019s are paying for the best education of their two girls not the US taxpayers but it is a problem? Someone mentioned Carter sending his kid to public school and please remind us how many years ago that was when schools were less violent?? Spoil losers who just cannot understand or accept the will of the people who voted for President Elect Obama on November 4, 2008. To those who want to force their brand of democracy in the form of the Bush *** please explain to us again your love for this country? How can you say you love this country yet you are against what makes this country unique? So with that said......DEAL WITH IT.

[runningralph]

Obama''s first duty will have to be to the US taxpayers. Along with that duty will be the responsibility to not let his family become a security risk. That means protecting his family is part of his duty to the American taxpayers. The real issue here is why the public schools are so bad. The reason for that is that liberalism for the past sixty years has allowed criminal culture to fester in US cities. Obama truly wants to lift people out of the low down life. To do that he will have to seriously crack down on his own political base.

[flreason]

For all of the people who support vouchers...you do realize that if there were vouchers, then our tax dollars might not just support kids going to parochial Christian schools, but also Muslim private schools. The best reason to support public schools with your tax dollars is because public schools bring together children of diverse backgrounds, which allows them to learn tolerance. When you start separating the kids by religion or ideology, you support intolerance. There is no reason why tax dollars should be applied to parochial schools. But there are very compelling reasons for public schools. If Americans would support their schools with tax dollars...and demand that their tax dollars go to teaching instead of administrators...public schools could be successful again.