Is it hypocritical....

[KatheeME]

Do the public schools in your area offer a religion component to their ciriculum?

I would hope not, given that's not legal, at least here in Maine thank goodness.

 

[DizBelle]

1 - on the religious component of education... Why does academic education and religous education have to come from the same place?
2 - on teachers having their children in a different district than the one in which they teach... this is not the type of thing I was talking about. Teachers may have control in their classroom (and I suppose that is debatable) but not much beyond that. I'm talking about the people who decide how the schools are going to be run, what programs are going to be offered, how funding is spent. It seems like what they're saying is "what I'm doing isn't good enough for my child so I'll send them to private school but it's good enough for yours." If what they've done isn't good enough for their own children, it isn't good enough for anyone's.

 

[Deb in IA]

No. Just because they are working to make things better does not mean they should throw their own kids onto the fire to make a point.

No. Last time I checked we are free to do as we choose. Freedom does not always equal hypocrisy.

I totally agree.

In fact, I believe our highest "elected official" sends his two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, to private school.

 

[DizBelle]

I totally agree.

In fact, I believe our highest "elected official" sends his two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, to private school.

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

 

[FireDancer]

1 - on the religious component of education... Why does academic education and religous education have to come from the same place?

It doesn't have to be, but any parent, elected or not, is free to determine if their child's will be.

2 - on teachers having their children in a different district than the one in which they teach... this is not the type of thing I was talking about. Teachers may have control in their classroom (and I suppose that is debatable) but not much beyond that. I'm talking about the people who decide how the schools are going to be run, what programs are going to be offered, how funding is spent. It seems like what they're saying is "what I'm doing isn't good enough for my child so I'll send them to private school but it's good enough for yours." If what they've done isn't good enough for their own children, it isn't good enough for anyone's.

Maybe it isn't good enough for their child which is why they are trying to make it better. Maybe a lot of things. It really isn't anyone's business other then their own how they educate their child.

I would bet that if you walk into the house or senate and poll the elected officials the vast majority will be privately educating their child if they are school aged. The same probably goes for the state level. Those same elected officials are making decisions for almost every aspect of our lives. They make monetary policy, military policy, health care policy, tax policy, and just about everything else and they aren't actively participating in all aspects of every one of those things either.

This is what happens in a Constitutional republic.

 

[Deb in IA]

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

Actually, it says more about wanting the best for his children. As we all do.

 

[jrmasm]

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

Nothing. It says he wants his daughters to be educated without the distractions associated with who they are.

 

[luvmy3]

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

It could say that while he thinks the public school system may be good, there is better, and he is lucky enough to be able to send his children to the best. Its no secret that the American Public school system (as a whole) is far from the best choice.

 

[Kathi OD]

1 - on the religious component of education... Why does academic education and religous education have to come from the same place?

It doesn't have to, but many people prefer the religious environment. Many parents like that the exact values & beliefs they are teaching at home are being reinforced in school, on a daily basis.

Since religious beliefs cannot be taught or reinforced in a public school; why, if you can get both together (religious training and academics, and assuming that the academics were equal in both schools), would someone who values religious training and academics equally not take advantage of sending their children to a school where they can get both?

 

[Kathi OD]

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

We don't know what it says about his faith in the public schools. All it says is that he and his wife felt that Sidwell Friends would be the best fit for his children.

 

[waltskids]

Yes, but what does that say about his faith in the public schools?

Nothing. I believe they send their children to private schools because of security issues as well as wanting the best possible education for their children. DH and I are both public school teachers (although I am on maternity this year) and our children will most likely attend Catholic school. We live in a different town than we work, and although the school system is good, we want our children to have faith based education (and uniforms are wonderful too!).

BTW, all of the board members who have children in school where we work send them to the public schools.

 

[cinmell]

Is it hypocritical for an elected official to send their children to a private school instead of a public school?

No.

 

[DizBelle]

Actually, it says more about wanting the best for his children. As we all do.

Isn't it his job to want the best for everyone's children?

 

[jrmasm]

Isn't it his job to want the best for everyone's children?

Who says he doesn't? And what the heck does that have to do with where his kids go to school?

 

[FireDancer]

Isn't it his job to want the best for everyone's children?

A quick scan of the constitution doesn't mention education at all as part of the president's responsibilities.

 

[Scurvy]

1 - on the religious component of education... Why does academic education and religous education have to come from the same place?
2 - on teachers having their children in a different district than the one in which they teach... this is not the type of thing I was talking about. Teachers may have control in their classroom (and I suppose that is debatable) but not much beyond that. I'm talking about the people who decide how the schools are going to be run, what programs are going to be offered, how funding is spent. It seems like what they're saying is "what I'm doing isn't good enough for my child so I'll send them to private school but it's good enough for yours." If what they've done isn't good enough for their own children, it isn't good enough for anyone's.

1. It doesn't have to. We are all free to decide if we want our children to receive a purely secular education, a secular education and a separate religious education, or a combined secular and religious education. We each have to make the choice that will best serve our children.

2. From the bolded, I assume you are not a teacher and that you aren't familiar with the way that school boards function. There are two problems with your statement.

First, teachers know that different children thrive in different environments. Just because a particular school is best for most children doesn't mean that it is best for all children. As a parent, the board member has to balance what is best for the majority of children at the public schools while also choosing the education which is best suited to his individual child. That may or may not be a public school education.

Second, you write as though you believe that one person can control the actions of the entire school board. Go to a school board meeting sometime and see if you still feel that way when you leave. It could be that the school board member in question does see the problems in the school system and is trying to fix them. Until they can convince the majority of board members to go along with them, they can't make those changes. There is no reason that that person should lose the right to choose the best education available for his child just because he is on the school board. He doesn't have to choose between getting the best possible education for his child and fighting to make the public schools also offer the best possible education. He can do both.

We all have the choice to send our children to school elsewhere if we feel they aren't receiving the best possible education in the public school. That doesn't change simply because some people think it "looks bad" to choose the best for our children.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

1 - on the religious component of education... Why does academic education and religous education have to come from the same place?

I personally don't think it does. I prefer to keep them seperate, but clearly many Americans prefer to intertwine the two. I think sending your child to a private, religious school is the perfect choice for people who prefer religion in the classroom.

 

[bookgirl]

We had a local sports star run for govenor. He was supposed to be a shoe in. Conservative, hero on the sports field, good looking, local buisnessman, etc. He was all about how he was just one of the common people, a home town boy who made good. He was asked about public school and replied that his children had attended both so he identified with the common man about school complaints. His children attended a real expensive non secular private school k-12 then attended a state university. But that was enough public school to make him one of the little people.

That pretty much put him on the downside of the polls. In his case private school worked against him.

If he had been honest about it in the first place it probably wouldn't have hurt him.

All our govenors have sent thier kids to private school or kept them in thier hometown public schools. They were honest about thier choices up front and there was no backlash.

 

[AndyLL]

Isn't it his job to want the best for everyone's children?

I'm sure he'd love for public schools to be able to provide the same education as private schools.

But resources are limited and the will of the people direct that our federal government spends 700 billion on defense and only 40 billion on education.

That said... children of high ranking elected officials will always go to private schools for security reasons in this day and age.

 

[emma'smom]

I think it may be less of a value-judgement on the schools and more about keeping family and work-life separate.

I send my kids to a private school, yet I license teachers to become public school teachers (and I am a licensed public school teacher). We have a great public school system in my town!

However, I work in those schools and interact with the teachers/administrators professionally. I want to avoid any situation where I have feel like I have to hesitate to express a concern about something related to my own children's education because I don't want to make (polite) waves or offend anyone-- for the sake of my work.

This way, the public schools are my professional world and the private school is my dd's educational world and part of my family's personal world. If I have a concern, I voice it (politely). I have a great relationship with the principal and both of dd's teachers. However, I know that, in that environment, any issues or concerns only go as far as those walls.