Schools and Dollars

$29,000 a year. That's the approximate cost for each of the Obama girls to attend the Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. That's a steep price especially considering the free tuition that the girls would receive at an area public school. Yet, as we say about other things, the D.C. schools may be cheap, but they're no bargain. Despite one of the highest per student expenditures in the country the D.C. schools are also some of the worst in the country. The high teacher salaries have not translated into better schools and so one can't really blame the Obamas for seeking a better educational environment for their daughters.

As we see locally, throwing more dollars at educators doesn't insure that our children will get a better education. Here in Vestal we find that failed school administrators aren't fired. Instead they're given a higher paying position in the education high command of Vestal. Vestal has even created new positions for these failed administrators. A high per student expenditure figure doesn't necessarily mean that our children are receiving the best education possible. It may mean that our tax dollars are supporting a bloated administration.

I hope that the Obama girls get the best education possible at Sidwell Friends. It was the choice for the children of Teddy Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and the Clintons, so I expect it will serve the Obamas well also.