Should Obama send his kids to public school?
The president says he sends his girls to a pricey private school because they can't get a comparable education in a D.C. public school. The pundits weigh in...

During a recent "Today" show interview about education, President Obama was asked if his daughters — who currently attend the elite, $31,000-per-year Washington private school Sidwell Friends — could get a comparably "high quality, rigorous education in a D.C. public school." The president was direct: "I'll be blunt with you," he said. "The answer's no right now. The D.C. public school systems are struggling." Does Obama's answer undermine his commitment to public-school reform?
He's just being honest: Oh c'mon, says Michelle Cottle at The New Republic, this is a cheap, tired excuse to "revive the eternal debate over whether it is immoral for presidents (especially Democratic ones) to send their children to private schools." Even the best public schools don't compare to Sidwell Friends, "one of the most elite — and elitist — schools in the country." Like the flap over the first dog's purebred status, this an "absurd political 'controversy.'"
"Obama said Sidwell Friends is better than D.C. public schools? Well, duh."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Obama comes off badly, given his position on school vouchers: The issue isn't that he's making the choice to send his daughters to a private school — "good for him" — but that he's "denying" other "parents the ability to send their kids to a better school," says Jason Pye at United Liberty, noting that Obama "has supported the end expiration" of a "popular" D.C. school-voucher program.
"Obama's hypocrisy on school choice"
And his public-school initiatives won't correct the inequity: Obama's educational policies — which "scapegoat teachers, make standardized test scores all-important, and embrace market-driven reforms" — certainly won't help public schools offer the sort of education Sitwell Friends can, says Valerie Strauss in The Washington Post. The president's initiatives make little mention of "parental involvement, early childhood education, after-school programs...all of the things that a student at Sidwell could expect to get."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: which party are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?