Reply to Schools cause PoP to leave Petworth

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think this is so silly. He could have entered the lotteries for next year when his child is actually 3. See what happens. Every first child has their best chance for charter admission at PK3. Then, if the child didn't get in anywhere, or anywhere acceptable, pay for day care another year and try it again. There's no guarantee for PK4 even at a WOTP school. seems like such an uninformed decision.[/quote]
Why should he have done all that?  If he can afford to move, then moving WOTP gives him lots of advantages in terms of a better shot at better schools, shorter commute, less crime, etc.  So he and his wife made a perfectly reasonable choice to buy a house that gives them all those benefits.  No reason to begrudge or criticize him for it.

It seems that because he ran this public blog supporting Petworth, many people want to force PoP onto some pedestal where he must live an ideologically pure lifestyle in service of Petworth, and he's unable to make any personal choice that's not 100% in support of Petworth.  IMHO, that's a ridiculous standard.

I see that same ideological purity test applied in other realms:

1. Vegetarians.  It's not uncommon for people to criticize vegetarians for wearing leather shoes, claiming they're being hypocritical for choosing not to eat animals, and yet still permitting some animals  to be used.

2. President Obama & Arne Duncan.  President Obama pretty regularly gets criticized for sending his daughters to private school, by people who suggest that because he claims to support public schools, he cannot send his daughters to private school without being a hypocrite.  Arne Duncan got the same treatment last week when it came out that his kids will attend private school next year.  (God forbid if Michelle Obama was ever photographed eating pizza!)

My point is that it's stupid to subject anyone to such an ideological purity test.  People are complex.  They are big enough to contain two different heartfelt views that might conflict with one another. They have many different influences and needs and constraints.  They try new things from time to time.  They change.  Just because a vegetarian might try a hamburger sometime doesn't mean her essential beliefs aren't worthy of respect.  Just because Arne Duncan decides its best to send his kids to private school doesn't mean he cannot work hard to improve education for all students across the country.  Just because PoP decides its best to move WOTP doesn't negate or diminish all his other views in support of EOTP neighborhoods.[/quote]

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