Can’t blame Rahm Emanuel’s decision about schooling his kids

Enroute to Midway Airport in Chicago this morning, all the rage on the radio airwaves was the fact that the new mayor, Rahm Emanuel is sending his own children to the prestigious University of Chicago Lab Schools. (This is the same school that President Obama’s daughters also attended.) The radio announcer belabored the point that the Mayor would be “spending $27,000 per year for each of his three children to attend this school”, yet the Mayor is encouraging Chicagoans to support and send their children to the public schools.

Critics of the Mayor’s school choice for his children assert that he should choose public school as the leading city official. Likewise, during his early tenure, he’s been promoting the city schools, reportedly leaving voicemail reminders to announce the start of school.

In a TV interview, he lost his temper when the reporter questioned his choice:

. . . with Mary Ann Ahern of NBC Chicago, the reporter asks the mayor about where his children will be going to school. Rumor has it, she added, that his kids would be attending the prestigious, private University of Chicago Lab School.”Great! So, it’s a rumor,” the mayor responded, apparently irritated. But Ahern persisted. Why not just say? After all, the kids are “in a public position now,” she said. Then he got cold.

“Oh, Mary Ann, let me break the news to you. My children are not in a public position. The mayor is. … No, no, no, you have to appreciate this. My children are not an instrument of me being mayor. My children are my children. And that may be news for you, and that may be new for you, Mary Ann, but I want you to understand — no, no, no, you have to understand this. I’m making this decision as a father.”

. . .But where a politician sends his children to school has long been a matter of public curiosity — think back no further than when President Obama chose Sidwell Friends for his kids, for instance. And for a mayor who has made the city’s schools a central focus of his administration, you might imagine that he would be prepared for a question about his own school choice for his children. Instead, though, as he reportedly said on the phone to Ahern after the interview, “My children are private and you will not do this.”

via Rahm Emanuel’s Temper Flares Over Question About Kids’ Schooling VIDEO.

As an educational researcher over the past 10+ years, I’ve spent a lot of time observing classrooms, meeting with district administrators. I have met many teachers and school officials in these public districts whose own children atten school in an independent (the term ‘private’ is so 1980’s) school or other district.

Just as I don’t blame those teachers and district officials, I don’t blame Rahm Emmanuel for making the best decision for his family. Can he still be a strong proponent of public schoos? YES, he can. Can those teachers and school offices care about the students they serve although their own children are in another district? YES, most certainly.

I especially understand how challenging it can be to find a great fit for all three of his children. When I work with families who are relocating, it can be challenging to find districts with strong feeders and high schools. My own children are in high, middle, and elementary grades. Few public school districts have preK-12 all on one campus as the Lab School does.

Three children from the same family can each have different learning needs as well. What worked for my boys in a public school district would not have worked for my daughter. I was able to find one school that satisfied their different learning and social needs, which happened to be a preK-12 independent school. It’s been a huge financial sacrifice that I’ve had to weather, but I had no other choice at the time. Do I care about the quality of public schools in my community and the students they serve? YES, I most certainly do and I am a strong proponent of public schools that work. Public schools are not, however, the best for every family. But when they are, the results can be great.

I am a product of Headstart and Memphis City Schools through high school graduation. My husband is a product of Dayton Public Schools through high school graduation. My sons attend public elementary schools through 5th grade. My daughter has been and continues to attend independent schools. Different times . . . different students . . . different choices.

How have your own school choices changed or remained the same?

Why I wouldn’t consider a boarding school

mak_boarding_school_02

This week on Facebook, I read some interesting comments from parents and others about the prospects of sending their own child to boarding school. There are two interesting trends that have been happening among boarding school enrollments that I’d like to highlight.

1.     The majority of parents are not “sending” their children to boarding school. Instead, students are seeking out boarding schools and getting parents on board with the idea. Just recently, while visiting Phillips Academy Andover, I met a family from the Midwest who was considering boarding school for their middle schooler. The parents both expressed some reservations because they were unfamiliar with boarding school environments. Nevertheless, they were willing to consider this option because their daughter had a strong interest in attending.

2.     As the awareness of boarding schools increases through organizations like TABS and educational consultants, families are learning that there is a great deal of variety among boarding schools. Likewise, many boarding schools require an interview, which means that students must visit the campus. Students can learn so much about the culture of a boarding school through these campus visits. One of my students this year who was applying to board school admitted that his campus visit helped him decide against applying to a program. On the other hand, a visit to another campus affirmed his decision to apply and eventually attend.

As my own children approach high school, I admittedly have struggled with whether I would allow my teens to attend a boarding school. When I visit the lush campuses that look more like colleges and witness what’s happening on a programmatic and pedagogical level, the offerings of a boarding school are compelling. So it’s somewhat easy to understand why families choose that option. However, when I consider the contrast and old stereotypes, here are the reasons that I would not consider a boarding school for my own child:

1.     Would not consider a boarding school because of its location – Most boarding schools are located in New England but there are a number of strong schools in the Midwest and even California!

2.     Would not consider a boarding school because of its brand name – The brand name of a boarding school may say something about its traditions and history, but says nothing about the current quality of the program and whether that campus is a good fit for my own child’s academic, social, and developmental needs.

3.     I would not consider a boarding school because my child’s friend attends – Sure, it may ease the transition for my teen if they already knew a friend in a school. Every child is different, though. So the reasons that his friend’s family chose a school may not be the same for my teen.

With this shortlist of “don’ts” out of the way then that still leaves the possibilities wide open. Now it’s just a matter of thinking critically about how to support my child in obtaining the best educational situation that will meet his learning, social, and developmental needs. There are more questions to ask about his preparedness and maturity as well. After then, I must be willing to let go of my own desires.

Would it be selfish of me to consider my own desires to perhaps have my teen stay close to home, even if boarding school is a better opportunity than he’s mature enough to handle?

Boarding schools keep getting richer

When parents ask me about the comparison of day schools to boarding schools, I often remark about the endowments of many boarding schools which makes it difficult to compare them to day schools with fewer resources. Yesterday, I visited one of those boarding schools, the Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH) in western Massachusetts. NMH is already a beautiful campus with many amenities. (My 10-year-old thought we were on the campus of a college, rather than a high school.)

A 1950 alum recently announced a gift of $1M to support the arts program and theatre. In this story from the WSJ, it states:

The gift to Northfield Mount Hermon is about Mr. Gilder’s love for the school and a tribute to the spirit of friendship he discovered when he stepped onto the Western Massachusetts campus in 1946 when it was still a school for boys. He graduated in 1950.”I was from New York and I didn’t know one person in the school. Not one,” recalls Mr. Gilder. “It was a wonderful period for me because I could meet all kinds of people and I became very close with a number of them.”A group of men that he met more than 60 years ago remain friends. The group gathers, with their wives, every September at Mr. Gilder’s Maine home for a weekend reunion. It was during one of those weekends that Mr. Gilder was encouraged to visit the school and see the campus again, this time with Ms. Chiles. They were both impressed by the renovated campus and school, which serves about 650 students annually.

via Donor of the Day: Richard Gilder – WSJ.com.

While I’m excited for NMH, I continue to look forward to announcements of this kind for day schools, both independent and public!

 

College Prep School – Western Reserve Academy

On a recent visit to Western Reserve Academy (WRA) in Hudson, Ohio, I lost my place on the map! One of the things that strike me whenever I visit the campus is how it reminds me of a quaint New England town tucked away from the hurriedness of an urban center. If I didn’t read the sign, perhaps I would think I was in Hanover, NH, or Wellesley, MA. When I talk with students and administrators, it’s clear that the curriculum is challenging, but the culture is fun and rooted in Midwestern values.

These photos highlight some of the features of the campus that are worth mentioning:

  • Almost all of the faculty live on campus, in dorms as well as private homes;
  • WRA is a “three-sport’ high school, which means that students must participate in sports or take a physically active course as an alternative. The gym probably gets a lot of use throughout the year.
  • The library facilities are top-notch and seniors spend plenty of time there to complete their senior thesis.
  • The “Green Key” club is special in that it matches every new student with a senior student. This supports a good way for new students to get integrated into the community.

This final feature is important from an academic point, as well as social. Community is really important at WRA.