So...more O news:
Chicago Public Schools chief Arne Duncan, who over seven years maintained a positive story line for the troubled district, will join longtime basketball buddy Barack Obama's Cabinet as secretary of education, a transition source said.Aside from my total amusement that Duncan is Obama's basketball buddy (My President is black) I wonder what Duncan's appointment means for education policy. Especially in regards to public schools and No Child Left Behind. And since I don't do education policy as much as I do education, and higher education at that, I turn to the Common Room for insight.
Drop it on me.
The BBGs know that I went to all public schools until college, that my public school education was the sh*t, and it was chock full of privilege (1 language and 1 magnet school). Recognizing the latter, it was still public ed, which brought with it a certain lack of resources in comparison to private, suburban and Catholic schools. Not to mention the public school stigma (that I discovered when I hit the college scene).
But I love me some public education. And I want to see public ed prosper.
That said.....on a related note....this line in the article gave me some serious food for thought.
The selection of Duncan almost certainly will renew debates about Obama's commitment to public schools, as the president-elect has opted not to send his daughters to the district that Duncan oversees. The Obama girls attend the prestigious University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where Duncan also attended and his wife once worked as the athletic director.Hmm.
Obama has defended his decision to send the girls to private school, saying it was the best choice for his family.
"I taught there, and it was five minutes from our house. So it was the best option for our kids," Obama said in 2007.
I know the BBGs have had this conversation before....
But while the ed-heads are dropping policy knowledge in the comments, let's throw it out there again.
In the privileged-yet-conscious, blessed-but-fired up land of Bad Black Girl BAP life...is there a place for public school...for OUR kids?
5 comments:
"In the privileged-yet-conscious, blessed-but-fired up land of Bad Black Girl BAP life...is there a place for public school...for OUR kids?"
Like most things in life, it depends. 1) It depends on where I live and 2) how much I make. If the answer is a good neighborhood with good schools, yep, public school. If the answer is less than desirable neighborhood with failing and/or mediocre schools, the answer is private. If the answer to question two is enough to send my kids to private school, then I will refer back to question 1 and make a decision. If the answer to question 2 is no, then public school it is.
So to sum up the answer is 50/50. I don't necessarily have a preference. I just want to give my kids every opportunity to succeed in life.
ok...i'm not even reading T's comment b.c others' comments tend to alter mine...duh.
don't have a lot of time to comment on this one right now (making plans to move, wrapping up current job, packing an entire house in less than 2 weeks). i WILL come back to this one, be damn sure.
but to answer the last question...DAMN RIGHT my kids are going to public school. i will tell you why later.
holla @ ya girl.
T's comment raises an interesting point. How will having children factor into your decision of where to live? Also, if you can afford to send your child to a private school, could you afford to move to a better neighbor with better schools and other amenities? Maybe that's another post.
Aww man...this got complicated. Because if I factor in my income, my neighborhood, the cost of moving, my children's future sucess, my street cred as a professor....
Shoot, maybe I'll just homeschool the little buggers....
T is absolutely right, better neighborhoods tend to have...better schools! And we are all on the path to being able to choose from a variety of prosperous, well-established neighborhoods...so, this may not be a huge issue.
hmmm..this DID just get more interesting..
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