Politics | 11/18/2008 1:15 pm

Developing: Obama Girls Attending Georgetown Day School? (Update)

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

We may know where Sasha and Malia Obama, 7 and 10, will be attending school come January!

A tipster just revealed to us that future First Lady Michelle Obama and her two daughters are currently in DC doing two things: one, picking out their bedrooms in the White House, and two, putting the finishing touches on enrollment at the prestigious private school, Georgetown Day School.

Founded in 1945, the school says it’s "dedicated to providing a supportive educational atmosphere in which teachers challenge the intellectual, creative and physical abilities of our students and foster strength of character and concern for others," according to their website. GDS has grown from a school of seven students to a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade school with more than 1,000 students and a faculty of 165 on two separate five-acre campuses in Washington, DC. It was the first integrated school in the District of Columbia.

Alumni include the novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, law professor Jamin Raskin and our very own Judith Martin!

Our calls to the school’s public relations department were not immediately returned, but we’ll keep you posted.

Update: Well, the Associated Press reports this afternoon that the Obama girls, as well as Mrs. Obama and her mother, did in fact pop into the White House to pick out their new bedrooms. And First Lady Laura Bush was more than happy to have them. Mrs. Obama’s spokeswoman, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, remarked: "The first lady graciously invited Mrs. Obama, her mother and the girls to visit what will be their new home. Of course, Mrs. Obama greatly appreciated this invitation to provide an opportunity for the girls to feel at home and become comfortable in this transition process."

It’s also been confirmed that Sasha and Malia toured some schools today. While there’s speculation the future first children may attend Sidwell Friends school, our source, who happens to be close to the President-elect’s inner circle, insists the Obama children will be go to Georgetown Day School because that institution’s academics more closely resemble the education they’ve been receiving in Chicago.

46 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

DeB’, I’m surprised to hear you say “there is only so much you can teach, a teacher can only be so good.” Based on various posts you have made on countless subjects, I have a perception of you that runs counter to someone that would voice that opinion. If you genuinely feel that way, anything that anyone would post to suggest otherwise, I don’t think you would understand. I do get where you’re coming from in terms of the high cost of some private schools, and your belief that the rich are allowing themselves “to be had.” I guess where you and I differ is I do believe that the more revenue pumped into a school, the better their options are in terms of how much and the quality of services they can offer. Ask some teachers in small private schools who don’t have the funds and are struggling to provide a good education to their kids, they would love the additional money. Think about it, the expensive private schools tend to have the better computers, books and resources, far superior to those of other schools. And for some of the schools, I agree with you, they have even higher tuitions to establish an unspoken “exclusivity” for its students….the prestige of it. But again it goes back to if the parents have the money and want to spend it, why not? It’s no different than women who scoff at carrying a plastic purse from Walmart over a Louis Vuitton, heaven forbid! Those who only wear leather shoes over pleather. It’s unfortunately how a large segment of our society is, we want what we perceive to be the best. And in some situations when we spend more we do get quality, as in the quality of a designer purse over a Wal-Mart purse. They both serve the same function, but one truly does offer more durability and longevity.

By Belinda Joy on 11/19/2008 6:30 pm

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I would say that the teachers at the U of C Lab School are as good, for $16,000 less, as those at Georgetown Day School, give or take a teacher on either side. And that’s exactly what I mean, except you don’t have to go to the extreme of comparing Louis Vuitton to a Walmart bag… what about one top quality bag to the Louis Vuitton? For instance, some thread in here was gushing over $4,000 sweaters. Nobody can tell me that any sweater you buy for $4000 is $3000 worth of better quality than a sweater you can buy for $1000. The only reason a person would buy the $4000 on over the $1000 sweater would be because their friends know the brand and know what it cost. I am not comparing sending your child to a $36000 per year school to saving money by sending them to an inner city Public School and saying the $36000 school doesn’t offer more. I am comparing a host of top notch private schools which are roughly 1/2 the cost of the Georgetown school and saying I doubt the Georgetown school offers a better quality education… because it doesn’t get better than a school such as the U of C Lab School.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/19/2008 11:15 pm

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But mere cost doesn’t necessarily make it better. If the University of Chicago Lab School is considered one of the best in the country and it charges $20,000 per year, I doubt very much that the Georgetown Day School, which for a comparable grade charges over $36,000 per year, offers a better education. When you are getting into those numbers I really believe the extra $16,000 is buying exclusivity, not a better education that the other top school. Probably in DC they charge the extra !6,000 because they can get away with it with all the political elite vying for a limited number of spots. In fact, I’ll bet once the Obama girls start at whichever school they end up going to, the tuition starts to rise up above the other DC private schools.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/19/2008 11:21 pm

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TYPO or Freudian Slip: not “extra !6,000”…. “extra 16,000”

By DeBúrca obj on 11/19/2008 11:23 pm

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BELINDA, I DO SO AGREE WITH YOU. I WISH PEOPLE COULD STOP AND THINK ———- DON’T WE WANT THE PRESIDENTS CHILDREBN WELL CARED FOR. ? WHY PUT THEM INTO A SCHOOL WHERE JUST ANYPNE CAN WALK IN BLOW THE CHILDRENS GUTS OUT ALL OVER THE WALLS AND THEN SAY AND ASK??? WHY IN THE WORLD WOUDL THOSE PARENTS NOT STOP TO THINK IF THEIR CHILDREBN WERE WELL GUARDED OR NOT. REALLY PEOPLE WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU YUORSELF THINK WE WOULD THINK OF OUR NEW PRESIDENT THEN??????????????? WOULD YOU WANT TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THEN H-A-V-E TO THROW YOUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN INTO A DUMB CHEAP ASSED SCHOOL THAT COULD CARE LESS ABOUT ANYONES SAFETY? THERE ARE MANY THREATS OUT THERE AGAINS THE GIRLS DADDY WHY THROW THE BABIES OT THE WOLVES? THESE SCHOOLS ARE TOP WHY SETTLE FOR LESS?

By newzie snoozie on 11/18/2008 6:41 pm

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Lord, Ms. Snoozie. I agree with your point, but did you have to be so excruciatingly vivid? I just ate!

By Ms. Dee on 11/18/2008 6:57 pm

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I don’t think anyone is questioning whether or not the Obama children SHOULD go to the best school around. But… I am questioning where a school rationalizes such exorbitant fees. It’s inflated beyond the quality a grammar school can possibly provide. This has nothing to do with whether or not the Obama girls are going there. Forget them for the moment. It’s just amazes me how the wealthy allow themselves to be had.

By DeBúrca obj on 11/18/2008 9:33 pm

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You need to see a breakdown of expenses. It’s a lot of money - no doubt, yet none of these schools would be in the black without an endowment to bridge the gap. You clearly would be amazed to learn what it costs to maintain small classes, plant, and pay faculty and staff. In fact most private school teachers make far less than their public school counterparts. I can assure you the wealthy do not feel as if they have been “had” and those who have children attending on scholarship are grateful for what they are receiving.

By Lucinda Herbert on 11/18/2008 11:09 pm

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The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a very highly rated high school and its tuition is a little over $17,000. To me that’s a lot of money, but I don’t see how another school charges over $36,000 then, what more are you getting for the extra $19,000?

By DeBúrca obj on 11/19/2008 8:00 am

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Well even if he wasn’t the President…Barack and Michelle could afford to send them to private school. Both of the salaries combined could afford it…so by all means, send them to the best schools…education is important!

By Ky McQueen on 11/18/2008 6:45 pm

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They have done their research. If the girls are safe and have a somewhat normal life, then I’m sure the parents don’t care what it costs. It’s too bad being president has to be so scary. McCain and Palin could have done a little better in this area. They whipped up the racism and evil in our country. I hope it will settle down soon.

By Murnah H on 11/18/2008 7:22 pm

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This is bittersweet. In many ways, a loss for the Obama girls. In many ways a gain for the Obama girls. First, though, clearly security for those girls is most critical. There are millions of people out there in the world who would jump at a chance to harm those girls. Security is top priority. This is beyond debate. Security gives the Obama family very few choices, perhaps only one choice. None can fault the Obama parents for their choice. A bitter part of this is the Obama girls will miss out on normal life, a public school experience of school yard bullies, fun average day play friends, stern teachers, compassionate teachers, dirty bathrooms, wonderful classrooms and science labs which smell like dead frogs. There will be no students who will bust one of the Obama girl’s lip, nor students who will help her up after being knocked down. Neither girl will learn of discipline problem kids nor learn of kids who are hungry and wearing old hand-me-down clothes yet struggling to do well in school. I suppose the sweet is those girls will enjoy the best of an education, a type of education almost all are denied. Well, readers get my drift; those girls will grow up sheltered from reality. Kinda sad, this is to be, there is no choice on this. Those girls must be protected, must be sheltered. The Obama parents have no choice on this and cannot be faulted for their choice. Okpulot Taha Choctaw Nation

By Okpulot Taha on 11/18/2008 8:49 pm

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Merrell G comments, “You are just so so frigin’ biased.” I like to think of myself as having my own mind, having my own personal convictions. I like to think of myself as walking the talk. Merrell continues, “You say you are wealthy.” We are multimillionaires born to poverty on a rural Oklahoma farm, yes. Merrill adds, “…are you gonna send your kid to a shitty school….” Our girl is an independent grown woman, today. She is a clinical psychologist out of Stanford and USC. She worked her way through college as we expected of her, as we did ourselves. Oh sure, we tossed in a little help here and there and she repaid us through hard physical work. Each summer break from her public school education, I hauled her back to Oklahoma for the two of us to live with my Choctaw relatives. She worked her summers. She plowed behind a mule, worked rows of corn, slopped hogs, milked cows, helped butcher hogs and even enjoyed helping us catch wild boars leaving her bitten, bruised and crying. She survived just fine, and today she cherishes those experiences. When in her teens, I hauled her, each summer, to an Indian reservation in northern New Mexico to live and learn. Her experiences there were very unique and much more harsh than in Oklahoma. Probably her best experience was learning to become a good horseback rider and learning how to herd and rope in wild horses. She ate dirt many times, she enjoyed her share of bruises and hurts. She also cherishes those experiences. Public school, darn right she attended public schools. This is where she learned how to get along with all types of people and learned of reality. She is a stronger woman and a better woman for her learning humility within these blackboard jungles we call public schools. Our family, we are not shrinking violets. We are tested, we are strong, we stand on our own two feet, and we have minds of our own. Merrell closes, “start by being a thinking being. then post.” Oh brother. Practice what you preach (Obama voice) “sweetie.” Okpulot Taha Choctaw Nation

By Okpulot Taha on 11/19/2008 1:57 pm

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I dont have an issue w/ them going to a private school where they will be safe. I dont think their lives will be that sheltered, I mean there Father is the POTUS…I am sure they will learn and see more than most kids. They will just learn different stuff. I don’t think kids going to that school is any better then any other kids just b/c their parents have the money to afford that school, great. If I had the money you can get my daughter would be going there. Now DeB I agree…I would like to know why the school can charge that much in tuition…But I guess where they are and the cost of living for their employees…Plus the name…you always pay more for names, just like clothes and cars.

By C Hardy on 11/19/2008 2:21 pm