As Amy Carter walked through the doors of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School, the media had a heyday. But most of the country?s top politicians ever since have opted instead for private schools. So a lot of people this week are urging the Obamas to make the PC decision and send their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, to D.C. public schools.

Among them is the D.C. superintendent of schools. He lauds the district?s many fine neighborhood and charter schools. He cites the opportunity for language instruction, multicultural environment, and the many students who are wooed by top-notch colleges. Additionally, D.C. is a ?school choice? district, meaning parents have the right to enroll their children out of the boundaries of their neighborhood school, assuming there is room in the desired facility.

The superintendent also suggests that the Obamas can learn about all the problems with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) by putting their kids in the thick of it.

I was on his side until I got to that part. As a public school teacher by profession myself, I think that the superintendent is making his request at the children?s expense. Not that I disagree with the idea that the Obamas should consider ALL of their options. Nor do I disagree that the local public school could be their best option. But they should make a decision based on what works best for each child and the family as a whole. They should not make educational decisions in order to make a political statement. They especially should not send their daughters into a mess (the superintendent?s opinion of NCLB, not mine) so they can see firsthand how bad it is.

That doesn?t make a lick of sense.

My husband is also a public school teacher, so we raised a few eyebrows when we decided to home school our son through junior high. But I would not be shamed into enrolling him in a school that I did not feel best met his educational needs. School is not one-size fits all. And teachers know this better than anyone. I have several friends who take their children to different schools because the one that?s best for the oldest child is not best for he next.

Of course, the Obamas have more options than some families because of their position in life. I think that?s great. Their decision may involve more than just academics, as do all of our school choices. They must consider their values, as well as what?s convenient. They also (unlike most of us) need to consider politics and security. But it?s not just public vs. private anymore.

Parents can choose to homeschool, they can investigate charter schools (which are tuition-free), and there are public or private hybrids with homeschooling. If the Obamas? move has you thinking about school, maybe it?s time to re-evaluate your own school choices. Hopefully, you find that what you have decided is still the best place for your kids. But if not, it?s a great time to look at the new opportunities that may have arisen in your community.

A recent survey of 3500 breastfeeding mothers in the United Kingdom has shown that most breastfeeding mothers have had problems feeding their babies in public, due to the reactions of others. Over one third of mothers prefer to feed their babies in public toilets and a fifth will leave the baby crying rather than stop to feed him in public. Over half of the mothers have experienced unwanted attention and 12% have been asked to stop feeding. In fact, 14% have had an argument with someone who wanted them to stop. One third of the mothers feel that they have to bottlefeed their child (often with expressed milk), rather than feed in public.

In an environment where we are supposedly encouraged to breastfeed this is absolutely ridiculous and quite worrying. In new mothers, where they are still struggling to get to grips with breastfeeding any way, this is enough to change their minds completely. Presumably complaints against breastfeeding are greater as the child gets older. It can be very hard to tell whether a baby is being fed or just cuddled, but feeding a two year old may be both harder to hide and more disapproved of. Whilst there are various techniques for hiding the fact that you are breastfeeding, it shouldn?t be necessary. I suspect that many of us often walk past nursing mothers without even realizing.

When I first read this article, I assumed that it was due to us Brits being somewhat reserved, I was quite surprised to find that the problems are the same in America and Australia.

In America there is a national goal that 75% of babies are breastfed by the year 2010, which isn?t very long now. If this is to happen it is essential that it is acceptable to feed in public.

In Australia, breastfeeding mothers can claim under anti-discrimination laws. However, there is still a lot of prejudice even here and mothers are still asked to leave or to stop feeding when they are in public places.

Hopefully, this is another one of those issues, that if everybody does their little bit it will slowly become more acceptable and recognized as the norm and it is essential to remember that as mothers our prime responsibility is to our children, not to some passer by who doesn?t like what we are doing.

Further Information

New mums across Britain are terrified at the thought of breastfeeding in public, according to a new survey

Breastfeeding Out and About

Breastfeeding in Whose Public?

Nurse Here Now