Fenty's boys -- where are they going?

[Anonymous]

8:49 I agree, it would have been nice, but maybe their neighborhood school wasn't all that great and they didn't want to spend two precious hours a day getting to another school on the other side of town an OOB basis. We just don't know. I can't get too excited about Obama's school choices. Fenty is another matter. There, I wouldn't be as incensed if he hadn't taken over DCPS, then not followed the letter of the law when he hired Rhee (he did not consult with the Council). Oh, and he flipflopped, announced he supported a takeover the day after he won the primary. I'm so disappointed in Fenty!

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm not that disappointed in Fenty since I never thought he was ready; still, I lump the pols together who seem to preach being one with the people in everything except follow-through.
Anyway, it probably wasn't in the family tradition. Michelle may have gone to public but the President certainly didn't. He went to one of the most exclusive private schools in Hawaii on grandma's dime. Rightly so--Hawaii has a famously abysmal public school system. But once Obama was grown and decided to cast his net with the people, it would have been nice if he participated in the change he seeks--directly. By putting his family--in this case his children--where his mouth is. If I, a middle class non-pol--have put my kids in public and charter in the District, he and Michelle could certainly have swung it in Chicago. And given much more credibilty to his activism and political aspirations. Same for Fenty. Same for all the rest in public life who are in charge of setting education policy, especially policy that limit choices for others (Fenty is becoming notoriously anti-charter). The only reason Obama is a little bit off my hook is that he seems to support charters (by word and visits--am looking for the policy follow-through...).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IIRC, when they were in first grade, their private school only went to second. Then they were supposed to head to DCPS.
Then when they were in second grade, their private school added third. So one more year in private.
Now that they are finishing up third, I predict their private school will add fourth. I doubt those boys will ever see the inside of a DCPS classroom.

This is outright misinformation. The school is and has been pre-k through 3 - prior to Fenty's kids ever enrolling.

[Anonymous]

I wonder who emerge as a credible challenger in the next election and what THEIR school agenda will look like.

[Anonymous]

9:35 From Wikipedia:

From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.

In 1971, he returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from the fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.[16]

From multiple sources: He was a scholarship student at Punahou.

[Anonymous]

There has been alot of speculation and discussion that the Fenty's will choose Wes. We will see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:35 From Wikipedia:

From ages six to ten, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, including Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School.

In 1971, he returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham, and attended Punahou School, a private college preparatory school, from the fifth grade until his graduation from high school in 1979.[16]

From multiple sources: He was a scholarship student at Punahou.

Can you please specify multiple sources of info that he was a scholarship student? In that case sounds like gaming the system or worse-- fraud. Sounds like they registered him in mom's name/financial information which is really crappy since for all intents and purposes he was being raised by grandmama who was MORE than well-heeled. By 1970 his grandma was one of first two female vice-presidents of Bank of Hawaii (one of the LARGEST banks in Hawaii). If they did not have enough money to pay the full load, who would? Think about the kid who could have gotten a scholarship if his family did not choose to fill out the financial info in mom's name--and instead put the true worth of the people ACTUALLY raising him (grandparents). What are the values in this family anyway? You just made me think MUCH worse of Obama's full history vis private over public education.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever seen a FA application for an independent school? It does not ask for grandparents' financial information. I personally know students right here in DC who are getting some FA but whose grandparents are affluent, take amazing trips but don't cover their grandchildren's tuition, which is exempt from the $1 million gifting cap so that cannot be an excuse. Also, no one said full scholarship. If you are interested in the sourcing, feel free to Google. I believe Obama wrote about this in Dreams from My Father, too.

[Anonymous]

"this" = getting a scholarship.
It's only fraud if there was deception, I don't see how you could possibly know the details about Obama's application to assert such a thing!

[Anonymous]

My point is , the PP above made it sound as if being a scholarship student vindicated Obama having attended one of the MOST exclusive private schools in Hawaii for almost his entire schooling career. Different from his grandparents simply having money is his grandparents RAISING him from 5th grade on and having money--and applying for a scholarship? If you don't have the money, don't pay. But if you have the money, pay. This seems wrong.

[Anonymous]

"Vindicated Obama?" -- sheesh as if a fifth grader in the 1970s (a) had any choice about where he went to school and what financial arrangements were made to send him there and (b) could anticipate the whole vouchers/charter school debate that emerged decades later and make sure his parents/grandparents acted in ways that would be consistent with his future adult views on a then non-existent policy initiative?

[Anonymous]

PP: Agreed, but I have no idea what their financial circumstances were, how large or small Obama's scholarship was. You're making several assumptions here (that the grandparents had funds, that his scholarship was considerable). This seems wrong, to judge anyone based on a set of incomplete set of facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Vindicated Obama?" -- sheesh as if a fifth grader in the 1970s (a) had any choice about where he went to school and what financial arrangements were made to send him there and (b) could anticipate the whole vouchers/charter school debate that emerged decades later and make sure his parents/grandparents acted in ways that would be consistent with his future adult views on a then non-existent policy initiative?

I never said -- if you have followed all my Previous Posts, that I found Obama junior responsible for all these decisions made about him. However, I find it remarkably shady of his very rich family raising him (maternal grandmother side to have applied for a scholarship--as I did NOT posit, a previous poster did). I will repeat though--as an ADULT--with conscious choice--AND A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND UP AND COMING DEMOCRATIC POL AND MAN OF THE PEOPLE--I would have expected him to make DIFFERENT choices for his own family. So just out of curiosity, did he and Michelle foot the bill for the girls at the U of Chicago Lab School, or were they 'comped' by employers?

[Anonymous]

9:40 and 13:18 are perfect examples of grasping at straws. Just let it go ladies.

[Anonymous]

Straw being proffered by ladies in question. Thank you ladies!