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Obama Girls Will Go To Sidwell Friends
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The public spotlight on the Obamas' school choice rekindled debate over whether a populist president should send his children to elite schools. The District's public schools are headed by an activist chancellor in Michelle Rhee, who is battling the teachers' union and long-entrenched problems to raise standards; she sends her children to public school. She is backed by Mayor Adrian Fenty, who sends his children to private school. Both made it clear, by sending out a press release, that they had talked with the Obamas about their decision.
"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."
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), a vocal advocate of public education, defended the Obamas' choice. "That is for him and his own family," she said. "I don't see any public aspect to this decision of where your children should go to school."
The Clintons were criticized for not choosing a public school, though last year Hillary Clinton said the couple's decision arose at least in part from a desire to protect their daughter from scrutiny: "I was advised, and it was, unfortunately, good advice, that if she were to go to a public school, the press would never leave her alone."
Julie Wolf, mother of a first-grader and a preschooler at Sidwell, said her family was "super excited" about having the Obama children as classmates: "They have seen the girls on television. They haven't seen them at Sidwell, but they've known when they were visiting Sidwell."
Wolf said her son came home from school early this week with reports of Obama sightings on campus, although he himself did not see the family. "I'm sure that it's being discussed by the kids," she said. "But they're all so young in the lower school, I can't even imagine what those conversations consist of. I can't imagine they're very substantive."
Bruce Stewart, head of Sidwell, could not be reached for comment.
Staff writer Daniel de Vise contributed to this report.
