Hey, Guess Who’s Not Going to a Washington D.C. Public School?
November 21st, 2008 by Evil Beet
Why, the Obama girls, of course!
Despite pleas from the community for President-elect Obama to send his girls to one of the (god-awful) Washington D.C. public schools, in hopes that his daughters’ attendance there would help the schools improve, Barack has opted to send Sasha and Malia to the presitigious Sidwell Friends school, a private Quaker school that Chelsea Clinton also attended.
What do you think of Obama’s choice? Should he have sent the girls to a public school?
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I am finding it freakin hilarious that so many people seem to think that when others refer to the safety of the President’s daughters they are talking about their safety from other 7-year-olds.
I believe what is being referred to is safety from outside nut jobs, like the kind of people who have already been caught making assassination attempts on the President-elect. The kind of people who would kidnap or harm his daughters because they are in possession fo a very special kind of crazy. The kind of people who could walk right into a public school because there is little or no security.
Yeah…that’s what Obama is concerned about when it comes to the safety of his daughters…the other 7-year-olds and whatever they might be plotting. Sheesh.
It’s just another commentary on the sad state affairs with the U.S’s educational system. I can’t blame him one bit. However, he better try and make it better, because after 8 years of the Clinton administration, it didn’t get any better. Then W’s ridiculous No Child Left Behind program just created more bureaucracy and resulted in no long-term improvement. Private schools are the way to go, so let’s hear it for the voucher system. The government sucks in this department. Either create a voucher program or find a way to get corporations to subsidize school systems, perhaps through a tax break or something.
I think it would be nice if the American media didn’t make celebrities out of politicians and their families.
And the safety issue stems from a public school is accessible and those girls are now targets. They can’t be kept safe in a public school. They can’t even keep regular kids safe.
As for little kids that don’t understand politics, that’s true but how many people here have a professional sports franchise in their city? Kids of players and coaches get teased all the time at their schools. Mainly because their asshole parents tell them to “go to school tomorrow and tell Coach – - – - – - ’s kid that his dad sucks.”
@ Jennifer just because you went to public school dosent mean shit. If you had the opportunity, why wouldnt you send your kids to private school? whooooo I am elitist because my dad wanted me to have a better life than he did. because he worked his ass off to get to the United States and make a life for his family. yeah. we’re elitist. on a salary of 1700 a month.
Dmarie- are you delusional? not all private schools are religious. I dont know how it is down under, but up here religious dosent equal bad either. I grew up in a religion that is very conservative… I mean we wont even touch pork or wear jewelry- but when it comes to politics most of us are liberal. That is because we believe in a separation of church and state. I am tired of people saying that religious people are bad because they believe differently than much of the world- I hold the fundamental beliefs of my church AND protest Prop 8. Dont be so narrow minded.
@ Jennifer just because you went to public school dosent mean shit. If you had the opportunity, why wouldnt you send your kids to private school? whooooo I am elitist because my dad wanted me to have a better life than he did. because he worked his ass off to get to the United States and make a life for his family. yeah. we’re elitist. on a salary of 1700 a month.
Dmarie- are you delusional? not all private schools are religious. I dont know how it is down under, but up here religious dosent equal bad either. I grew up in a religion that is very conservative… I mean we wont even touch pork or wear jewelry- but when it comes to politics most of us are liberal. That is because we believe in a separation of church and state. I am tired of people saying that religious people are bad because they believe differently than much of the world- I hold the fundamental beliefs of my church AND protest Prop 8. Dont be so narrow minded.
Like it or not, the fact that he is the first black president puts him and his family on many minority hating hit lists.. no doubt they would love to use those girls against him or just torture and kill them out of spite. I agree with the Obama’s 100%, their daughters safety means more then someone’s else political agenda.
He made the best choice.
@ jennifer.. I don’t seem to have much to respond to- So… and Lee pretty much already said everything I wanted to.
I do not think all public schools are bad. I think many inner-city pubic schools are bad. I think, depending on where I would raise my children, I might feel that they would be better off in a private school. Not all private schools are the best, and not all public schools are the worst.
With people who are surprised he wouldn’t go public, I think a lot more are surprised that he would even consider it. I’m sorry, I think it’s messed up if you have the best education yourself, and attend Ivy League schools, then don’t try to do the same for your children. Why not give them every advantage you could?
I’m sorry you thought I meant that the kids were not safe around other kids… I was more worried about the security and environment of the school to an outside threat. No, I don’t think a little kid would be attacking them.
oh but to ” So yeah, it’s safe to say an overwhelming majority of parents are putting their faith in public schooling”
>> Just because someone does not have enough money to send their children to private school, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to. I wouldn’t say they are necessarily putting their faith into anything… it’s more like, their only choice.
But don’t get me wrong. I definitely think the public school system should be revamped. I just think it’s silly to expect the President to risk his daughters’ safety to draw attention to the problem.
Oh and @ Persistent Cat re “I think it would be nice if the American media didn’t make celebrities out of politicians and their families.”
Don’t most countries do this? Off the top of my head, I would say that England definitely covers the royal family as celebrities, in tabloids constantly… and France.. I think it’s just a natural thing for people who have very important jobs to be reported on a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily an America thing.
Canada doesn’t. They are public servants and the media normally treats them as such.
Hahaha.. some change..? Yes, only for the ones in power.
Uhhh. I believe Jimmy Carter’s daughter was sent to a public school.
Retards.
yeah beefy i’m sure you knew that, you didn’t just read that in one of the many obama articles that mentions it.
how on earth would me not knowing that make me a retard? I wasn’t even alive yet during his term.
Oh and since I know how to look up stuff too, I also read that it was hard for her to make friends there and that she wasn’t allowed outside at recess, because it was too dangerous.
Oh and also– it seems at Carter was doing it to prove a point… at his daughter’s expense. How sad– from Washington Post article–
The last president to send a child to a D.C. public school was Jimmy Carter. He was so hot on the subject that he had a line in his 1976 Democratic convention acceptance speech about the political and economic elite who “when the public schools are inferior or torn by strife” send their children “to exclusive private schools.”
According to the secret service, Obama has had more threats against him than any other president-elect. This is not a matter of the quality of public school education vs. the quality of private education, this is a matter of safety for those two girls.
If you were in his place, and you knew there were crazies out their who would target you and your family specifically, wouldn’t you want your children in the safest place possible? And this is coming from a person who is a huge proponent of public schools.
And, Beebec, your comment makes absolutely no sense. Technically speaking, this isn’t a change for those in power. People in power have always had the means to send their children to private school. You might want to connect your brain to your fingers.
As for Amy Carter, yes she went to public school, but she wasn’t allowed out for recess because the playground was too close to the street.
You can assume anything you want about how I know that, and you’d still be wrong.
“I also read that it was hard for her to make friends there and that she wasn’t allowed outside at recess, because it was too dangerous.”
Yes, I did know that, and this would be the only reason why I would really consider private v public. Their ability to just fit in.
Not safety. Not some STUPID gumption that public schools are some “sort of kind of” welfare; which by extension also invalidates those same people who make a lot of money from collecting disability or social security. Not quality of education. Not that they are black.
Just simply they attended private schools in Chicago, and they will make a better transition into what they already know–private schooling.
You beat me to it, Lisa. Let me also add that Amy Carter was the first presidential child to go to public school since Teddy Roosevelt’s boy in 1904.
whatever. public school is still a form of public assistance. that’s where my analogy came from, and I stand by it.
With public schools, are you directly paying for your child’s education? No. The government is. You pay taxes whether or not you are using public schools. With private schools, you are directly paying for your child’s education. Your tuition money is what is paying for the school, the teachers, everything, you know?
I am not saying that is it wrong to go to public schools, or wrong to send your children there. I went to private schools and my sister went to public. We didn’t turn out differently academically… but we were also raised in an area with good public schools. I’m just saying, if I have enough money if/when I decide to have children, I would definitely look into private schools.. especially if I lived in an area that was very well-known for shitty schools.
And I don’t think that what you pay= quality of education always, but in some circumstances, it can play a role. Why punish your children because you want to live in a big city? Seriously. And the parents went to expensive private colleges… what on earth is the point of years of good education and good jobs if it can’t benefit your family?
With public schools, are you directly paying for your child’s education?
Yes. In federal state and local taxes. The gov is a representative of you.
With private schools, you are directly paying for your child’s education.
No. Private schools are not only funded by your tuition but through fund raising, donations, private grants ect. (”public assistance”)
he’s doing what’s best for their children. he’d be wrong to make an example of the, just to save face
No, because they tax people who aren’t using schools too. You are not directly paying for it. DIRECTLY. Paying taxes is not a direct way to pay for anything. You do not hand the school a check. See, you may be paying for it INDIRECTLY, through taxes, but not directly. When you pay taxes, it doesn’t say “And we took out $100 of this paycheck to pay for your kid’s tuition at the public school.”
I don’t think a school using fund raising and donations is consider public assistance. The public isn’t forced to donate the money to the schools, like the general population HAS to pay their taxes for the local public schools. People can chose to donate, but they have no choice when it comes to paying their taxes.
Does this make sense?
I think it comes down to that my parents had to cut a check to my high school, whereas they did not have to do it for my sister’s high school. I mean… yeah. But again, I didn’t go to private schools because the public ones were necessarily bad.. I had been born near a large city, and the public schools were awful, so I was put into private. When we moved to a safer, more suburb area, I continued at private just because it was easier transition for me as a kid. My sister was older, so she just ended up going to public.
oh, wait I see. Maybe I should have said “government assistance” to be more clear. Sorry about that. I could see how you would argue the use of the term “public assistance.” I was using the more classical definition of the term, instead of meaning merely funding from other sources.
“so….”–as Rose says, the fear is not other 7-year-olds, for chrissake. It’s adults. Who even knows–foreign states, terrorism, lone wackos like the type that assassinated JFK. Most public schools are not that secure and there are a lot of freaky-ass Obama haters out there. Don’t forget he was assigned a security detail earlier than any other candidate, and with good reason.
The question can’t be separated from security. He should send them wherever they’re safest.
Lisa, when you have kids, and they end up in public school I hope you will become interested in that school’s daily going-ons *because your money directly funds it*
Lisa, when you have kids, and they go to a private school I hope you will become interested in that school’s daily going-ons *because your money directly funds it.*
Whether private financing or public financing, your money is being directly invested in the school. One is mandated, the other elected. That’s the only difference.
Public schools are funded from your taxes, and the taxes of others; meaning your money with other peoples money ( which is the distinction you are trying to make WRONGFULLY). Private schools are funded by your tuition, ALONG with the tuition of others, fundraisers, donations, private grants; meaning your money and other peoples money. (BTW private schools are more expensive and your tuition alone does not cover all expenses.)
I went to both public and private schools. To inner-city with the highest murder rate in the country, and to the sub-urbs
Public education is not welfare. If it were well-fare people who make a lot of money would be banned from taking part in it based on their well to do socio-economical status. Instead they pay taxes and have the option of taking up the gov on their offer of education that their own money (through taxes) directly funds, or they can purchase private education (more expensive) that suits their particular needs; still funded by their money.
The DC public schools are harldy god awful, thank you very much. As a graduate I’m offended. I agree that safety is an issue but I still think its hypocritical to run on a campaign of change and then to avoid the problem instead of solving it. 30,000 dollars a year on 7th grade tuition is ridiculous, no matter how you slice it. And when the cost of sending your daughters to school is more than the average per capita income of District residents (lawyers, lobbyists, and senators included) in a city where 15% live below the poverty line…well that just seems to contradict his message. A message 93% of DC believed in.
@ L. – you and I are agreeing. Reread my post, I was responding to dear
‘jennifer’ who seemed to be concerned that we were all misinterpreting the intentions and motivations of the 7 & 10 year olds sent to DC public schools.
Ridiculous, I agree.
I don’t think they are being hypocritical at all. I would make the same decision the Obamas did with my son. It is the best choice for everyone involved. They would be a huge distraction at a regular public school and they are much, much safer at the private school.
Listen, those of you who are not parents, really don’t have anything to say in this discussion. Until you have your own kids you have absolutely no f*cking clue about what it’s like to make these kinds of decisions. Period.
Anna – so then, a campaign of change = his daughters have to go to schools where the testing results are among the worst in the nation?
Obama ran for President, his girls did not, and they should be afforded a sound educational experience. The man is already serving his nation. He doesn’t need to compromise his kids’ safety or educational opportunities.
if a school is religious then so much the better, whether private or public, but i dont know about australian schools in great detail. Ideally the rug rats should go to the local public school, but that never happens does it?! Think of the blairs in GB etc. Not sure why ever keeps banging on about race, you yanks should let it go pluease!!
Beefy
I would be interested in the goings-on of any school, not because my money was helping to pay for it, but because my child was there. I wouldn’t care about money, just that my child was getting a good education.
I don’t understand how you are using the word “direct.” Direct means having no middle man. The government is the middle man. You pay taxes to the government then the government decides where that money goes. This is not direct. Definition: “Having no intervening persons, conditions, or agencies; immediate.” Paying taxes is not directly paying tuition. I can’t argue this point anymore because what you are saying doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that people are paying for schools indirectly, but that is not what you are saying. Ugh and again, you can’t choose to pay your taxes, or decide where your taxes go, but you can choose to pay tuition at a private school. Also, since I went to private school, my parents pay for that, but still paid the same taxes that everyone paid, some of which ended up at the public schools. So, it’s like, public schools are things that people have to pay for, and private are things that people can decide to pay for.
For the record, I think a lot more money SHOULD be going to public schools. I would hope that one day they are properly funded, safe, and attentive to all children. I think it’s sad that families in some areas feel that they really have to send their children to private schools just because the public schools are doing so poorly.
@ Anna RE: ” I agree that safety is an issue but I still think its hypocritical to run on a campaign of change and then to avoid the problem instead of solving it.”
I had no idea that his campaign about “change” meant “my daughters will go from expensive private schools to shitty public schools.” I never heard about that change.
How do you expect a president to completely change the school system the second he steps into office? Especially with our economy the way it is? His daughters should suffer so he can seem like an “everyday American?” F*ck that. That’s ridiculous. And you even agree that safety for those little girls is a concern, yet STILL think they should be put where they are less safe? What the hell is wrong with you? They are not just little kids anymore, now they are little walking targets.
You know the golden rule.
“Better be safe then sorry”
Private school would be safer, plus the discreetion for the family.
Paying taxes is a direct way to pay for things. The governments is an extension by law of you. Gov is of the people by the people for the people. Gov is not the middle man. The reason why I said “when you have kids I hope” is to show you that your way of disowning taxes, prevents public school parents from standing up before education boards and complaining, as they often do, I’m paying for this education (my taxes are paying for this). Paying taxes is a direct taxation a on a person or organization to pay for common services, indirect taxation is taxation on goods and services (sale tax) to pay for services.
Taxation, for the purposes of funding many “common” services not just public schools, is you cutting a direct check to pay for something directly. When your parents cut a check for 100 dollars to pay for your private school, they also DIRECTLY cut a check each year to guarantee you and your sister a seat in a public school, the only difference is that check is being cut in increments. Over time, in taxes, you can shell out the exact amount you payed for your seat in private school if not more to pay for public school.
So yes, over time, you are directly paying for public school, or for the gov to be able to guarantee your child a seat in public school, directly through taxation. That is what your taxes amongst other charges break down to. You are being taxed (billed) for these services (public education, street cleaning) your representative (gov) provides. You are directly cutting a check to the gov. In the same way a private individual cuts a check for a private institution. The only difference is that the “middle man”(gov) is mandate to bill and collect, and the other “middle man” (gov) can elect to bill and collect.
AND to define “directly” by pointing to other people or the gov is still wrong. If you piss a cent into the common pot, it doesn’t concern you if other people piss in but don’t use the pot. You are still directly pissing at least a cent in. You can claim direct. If you are pissing a cent into the common pot it, just because a body is organized to collect it doesn’t disown that it is your cent from your check book to the government’s(represents you) check book to the public school. You are still directly pissing a cent in whole way through. You have at least a cents ownership (more over time) directly the whole entire time which allows you to also claim ownership of a school board, just like private schools.
If I typoed I apologize. I was in a hurry.
*The only difference is that the “middle manâ€(gov) is mandated to bill and collect, and the other “middle man†(school) can elect to bill and collect.
@ThatLisa: I was assuming you meant they wouldn’t be safe around other children because of Amy Carter’s experience. She wasn’t hurt (physically) by any terrorists or idiots looking to make the headlines. In fact, I’d like to see some data on how many murder/assault attempts there have been on White House kids while their fathers were in office. The only trouble Amy Carter had was within the school itself because the other kids treated her differently. Washington D.C. is a rough city. Regardless of where you go to school, the outside world will always be there. That’s what I meant when I said that if someone’s looking to hurt you, they’ll find a way. If the school itself is the problem, as in they fear someone inside the school will hurt the girls, then they are being prejudiced in choosing a private school over a public because they are assuming all public schools are violent by default. But if the issue is someone from the outside hurting them, then this could happen anywhere. D.C. is still D.C. regardless of where they go to school. There will always be criminals and violence. Someone could just as easily be hiding in the bushes at Sidwell waiting to shoot them than a public school (God forbid such a thing were to happen at either school, for the sake of the students at both). And actually, considering it is more common for public schools to have metal detectors in the post-Columbine era than for private schools, security at some public schools is a lot tighter than at private schools. And between the school’s security, the D.C. police department, and secret service, I honestly believe the girls would be just as safe at either a public or private school. I mean, all the president has is secret service and the assassination rate for American presidents is still really low.
And although some people who send their kids to public schools can’t afford private school, you always have an option. If they really had absolutely no faith (as in 0%) in their local public schools, people could choose to give up a few things to come up with the money to send their kids to private school. I know quite a few parents who have done some pretty drastic, at least in my opinion, things to ensure their kids get the best education: move to a new neighborhood or use someone else’s address(where the schools are better), get rid of the car if they could really get by without it, take out another mortgage, sell the house and move into an apartment, and the list goes on. People always have the option to live more modestly in order to afford private school in order to cover the gap between what the school gives them in scholarships and grants and what the school actually costs. But the overwhelming majority of the population chooses not to do so meaning they do have to have at least some faith in public schools or else why bother sending their kids there? Why bother paying taxes for public schooling?
And @jk: How many school aged children have their been in the White House since 1904? The only three presidencies I can recall since that time are Nixon (who chose private school), Carter (public), Clinton (private), and now the Obamas. I think the Kennedy kids were not enrolled in school yet when they lived in the White House. So it’s pretty much been 50-50 split in the past century.
I have friends, graduates of DC public schools, at Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Brown, UNC, Berkeley, UMichigan (including myself), Columbia, NYU, Smith, Dartmouth and almost all of the top 20 schools in the country.Many got in early, have had full acadmic scholarships or are part of honors programs.
My parents considered sending me to DC private schools under the impression that public schools were so terrible. Sidwell wasn’t on the top of my list because I am not fond of lacrosse and designer clothes.
I agree that safety is an issue. I understand sending their kids to Sidwell. I also know that the decision is a security one, not one based on academics. I understand security threats, I am a child of state department officials and lived in Kenya months after the embassy bombings there.
BUT as a resident of DC my feelings are still hurt by the argument that DC public schools are terrible. There are great schools in DC, amazing teachers, and extremely gifted students.
who the fuck actually cares where these girls go, really? i don’t know about you but all i care about is when i can buy my collectible plate (only 65 firing days) with their images on it? hurry, cause i’ve got a place on the mantle next to my obama bobble headed doll (it only nods yes) that’s just perrrfect!
“Direct means having no middle man. The government is the middle man. You pay taxes to the government then the government decides where that money goes. This is not direct. Definition: “Having no intervening persons, conditions, or agencies; immediate.â€
Hi, I’m baaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkk.
Who is the middle man if the gov is the one that provides the services, Lisa?
Look it is very simple.
You pay the government to pay for a government service, gov education—gov owned and gov run public school.
You pay a private institution for a private service, private education–private owned and private run private school.
Really, there is no middle man in either case, and if there is middle man he is apparent in both.
You pay taxes to the government then the government decides where that money goes (or level of actual distribution; it’s not a free for all; if you are taxed two dollars for school your two dollars will more than likey be spent in a school related capacity).
You pay money to the private institution then that institution decides where that money goes (or level of actual distribution).
To cut out a middle man or gov out of schooling is to cut out public education or public schools.
To cut out the a middle man or the private institution is to cut out private education or private schools.
I can’t get clearer than that.
————————-
@ ummm: obviously it’s not the other students that pose a threat, it’s adults. sidwell is where white house kids traditionally go. i believe ibecause t is smaller and therefore the environment is more controlled. the secret service are thinking of safety first, as they should be. not a surprise.
@quirkygirlkitten: and what makes you think adults can’t attack at a private school? because that’s where the rich(er) kids go? sorry, don’t buy it. look, washington d.c. is a rough city. that’s a fact that i am not denying. but the girls are just as likely to get hurt by an adult at sidwell than at any public school. if anything (according to everyone’s logic that public schools are more rowdy), security would be tighter at a public school since they are more prone to violence therefore they would be safer at a public school. and actually, there have been only 4 presidents who have had to decide where to send their children for school. and as noted above, roosevelt and carter chose public while nixon and clinton chose sidwell. not so traditional after all.
^ i meant 4 in the past decade, not ever
@ ummm: i am pointing out that sidwell is a smaller school with a smaller amount of people, which makes it easier for the secret service to do their job. don’t be so obtuse. and please don’t lecture me about DC and the school system there – i know about it as it is where i am from. thanks.
direct payment of tuition:
I write a check to school.
indirect payment of tuition:
I pay taxes to the government. it does not say specifically where this money is going to on my check (it may say refer to a more local tax, it surely doesn’t say public school tax). the government takes all the tax money than allocates it into different services. like public schools.
I can’t argue this point anymore. Clearly we have two different ideas of the word direct and we are getting absolutely nowhere.
@ jennifer-
No, I don’t think they would be safe/not safe based off of Amy Carter. I also think it sounds like her father was using her to prove a point though, which I think is sad.
I think everyone would want their children to get the best education possible, and sometimes people think that means choosing a private school. Sometimes people think this means choosing a public school. I don’t think this makes anyone right or wrong. I have a great experience with a private school, so I like private. My sister had a great experience with a public school, so maybe she would say public. It would probably mainly depend on where we lived and how much money we had.
I am especially worried for the Obama girls because of the racist attitude of some people. I have personally heard people joke about killing the president. It is not insane to think of someone wanting to hurt or kill his children as well. If I were them, I would be so worried that I would probably just home-school my children.
And, although I agree that some people are able to live more frugally and pay for private education, I wouldn’t say that everyone could do that. Some people are already living paycheck to paycheck. I don’t think it’s 100% possible for everyone. But I understand what you mean. You had a lot of very good points, and I respect your opinion and insight.
@ Anna “Sidwell wasn’t on the top of my list because I am not fond of lacrosse and designer clothes.”
hahhaha :) And dang, you sure do have a lot of impressive friends!! I am guessing you guys came from high schools all around DC? That is really great. Obviously you are an example of that either it doesn’t matter what kind of school you go to if you are smart or that DC schools aren’t that bad?
How was your school in DC?
You still didn’t answer the question.
Who is the middle man when the gov is providing the service?
No middle man. Not “indirect.”
It is direct tuition collected in increments by a public mandate based on the total cost of what it will take to educate divided cost per person. You can look us what it cost you by contacting your governments. They can break it down.
PUBLIC SCHOOL: LOOKS like YOU pay GOV, GOV pay SCHOOL However, a simple ability to describe how money changes hands is not enough to conclude if it is direct or indirect v. private schools as you guide.
YOU pay GOV (represents YOU), GOV (represents YOU) pays SCHOOL ( represents GOV). Public schools are under the umbrella of gov. It is long form for you pay the school.
You are directly paying the gov for the schooling they provide.
The same way you directly pay the private institution for the schooling they provide.
Better yet. In your world, what would, to you, be a direct form of tuition for public education?
A direct form of tuition for public education? I couldn’t think of any. Even with public universities, you pay some tuition, but it still gets a lot of money from the government and other agencies.
I don’t think people should have to pay out of pocket for public grade/high schools. I don’t have an example of direct form of tuition for a public education. If I had an example, we wouldn’t be having this ridiculous argument. And I don’t see the taxes as directly paying for one’s education, because a lot of people are paying those taxes that are not using the schools.
I already explained where I thought the middle man would be.
your money in taxes–> government–> allocates money out (including to schools).
You explained that you didn’t see that middle man AS a middle man. I get it. Seriously. Neither one of us is going to win this argument against the other person, because we clearly just see things differently. I don’t even know why we started this. Oh, I think it’s because I said public schools are in the same vein as welfare. Fine. I wasn’t trying to make a huge point with that. I obviously do not think they are the same as welfare. I just saw them both as form of government assistance.
I came this far so there is no use in turning back. It doesn’t cost me much to TRY to understand where you are coming from, so I don’t mind the extra effort that will require. Unless, you are satisfied if I walk away convinced you a complete juvenile numb nut. Why?
For one, daring other people to name one president who sent their kids to public school, and then claiming some cockamamie story about how were you, of all people, supposed to know. (Makes me trust you on the direct and indirect so much more….) Anyway, if you didn’t know, don’t expect others to know.
Two, for coming oh so close to the STUPID gumption that public schools are sort of kind or like welfare, and implying if you are wealthy enough you shouldn’t really take part in it. I know what a welfare state is, but I would never actually call public education welfare if I know rich people can use it too, and they should if they like. Public schools unlike real welfare are not NEED BASED. I think ever state has baisc public education in their constitution. Besides, there’s enough of things they tax us for, and we should be able to use the services our money directly funds.
Then, you are trying to somehow make a distinction between directly paying for public school and directly paying for private school. You pay directly in each case to the institution that provides the service. That is why you can’t come up with a direct form of tuition for public schools. Taxes are the only and main direct way for paying public tuition. If you cut a check directly to a public institution it would no longer be a public institution. It would private.
Gov is considered a middle man when people refer to the actual bureaucracy. Somehow the fact they represent not only you but every one who pays in may frustrate people. The gov has more leeway with their redistribution, but they redistribute just like private schools, only on a large scale. That doesn’t, in the large scheme of things, make gov a middleman, or somehow direct charge and direct payment of services (named taxes) indirect charge and indirect payment for services the GOV provides. That just defines them as public v private, not indirect v direct. I guess in short form public doesn’t always equal indirect, and private doesn’t necessarily always mean direct.
So you have an open floor, or did. I read your last response. No need. I got it. Up to this point. I got it now.
Last but not least. For my own understanding, to add to what you already wrote.
Do you have some bias against public schools? The way they are funded? If someone came up to you and said I payed for my kids public schooling. You’d say they didn’t pay “directly” and that’s somehow different. Different because other people pay in too. (Even if the system has others pay in to have a big amount short, but over time you pay for your cost of services.)
Is that what you are saying.
@ThatLisa
Most of those people were from my school but that’s just because those were my friends. My school was amazing. I mean, it is what you make of it. Amy Carter went to my school. Kids with drive did well. Kids who didn’t care, both rich and poor, did poorly.
Sidwell wanted more parking spaces so they literally tore up their soccer field, built a parking lot 1/2 under ground in its place, and then put a soccer field back on top of it. My school had a paper shortage for the whole time I was there…as in teachers payed for copier paper themselves. Oh ya, and we had 1/3 the number of textbooks we needed. But it was amazing. You don’t need a parking lot to have a good school. We used the public library instead of the school library. The the Gates foundation paid for our AP exams. I loved most every minute of it!