Q: why aren't the Palin kids in school?

[npincus]

Bristol, 17, Willow, 14 and Piper, 7 seem to be traveling around everywhere w/Palin-- she brings them to every rally I've seen televised. Don't tell me the McCain campaign is financing tutors for the kids(?). Why aren't the kids in school back in Alaska-- at least the youngest ones ought to be... Piper would probably be in 2nd grade, Willow in 7th grade. Lord knows their mom is an uneducated dumbass. Couldn't the First Dude take responsibility for his kids, making sure they attend school, while the Mrs. campaigns?

[Bucky]

1. If I was running for Vice President, I'd let my kid skip school too.

I can't imagine a better educational experience than seeing the inside of a presidential campaign.

Anyway, if she wasn't dragging them along, you'd just be attacking her for abandoning her children.

[npincus]

5. I wouldn't.

Not at 7 and 14- too young. I would keep their routines as normal as possible and not disrupt their education. As for the older one, Bristol, I can see your point.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. 14 might be old enough in some circumstances, IMO

I became a political junkie while taking 9th grade civics and I certainly could have appreciated the experience then. I was 15 at the time but I was on the older end of my class and many of my classmates didn't turn 15 until the second semester of 9th grade. Granted I was also an exceptional 9th grader in that regard. I don't think most of my classmates had nearly the passion for politics than I did.

So I'd say it really depends on the child. But as for the 7 year old, there's no way it could be a valuable experience and at that age it's far more important for her to be interacting with other kids and developing social skills.

[tblue]

8. That's not even legal!

Where's the attack? SP is the one making her kids an issue by propping them up on stage every day.

[sad sally]

18. really?

okay, taking the kids on a trip across America could be considered a great history lesson. If, and that's a big IF, the parents of said children were actually teaching them about America. Instead, we have a self-indulging egotistical Governor of Alaska and the quasi-governor of Alaska (Todd) dragging their school aged daughters and their "special needs kid" (which, as new parents of a "special kids" these people have no idea what that even means, nor do they seem to care to find out what it means- they seem to treat this precious little child as a sack of potatoes) from one radical political event to another - no schooling needed.

Sarah and Todd Palin, in my humble opinion, have demonstrated to America that they are the worst parents in the world. Why would you put your innocent children on display in the manner that these two people have done?

peace - until we all fly together what sense does it make?

[seabeyond]

22. i wouldnt. i may pull them out here and htere for special occassion. BUT

they would do school primarily and then have massive amount of work to complete while with me.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. IMO it would depend on their age

At 17 I would've killed for the chance to see the inside of a presidential campaign like that, and so if they wanted I would let them take a semester off of school and get them a tutor or do summer school or something. At 14, it's also possible that they would be old enough to appreciate it although less likely.

But there's no way that it would be a good experience for a 7 year old. Now I would certainly bring the 7 year old to certain events and such but pulling them out of school at that age to travel isn't a good idea. They aren't old enough to understand what is going on and interacting with kids their own age and developing social skills is very important at that age.

[rebel with a cause]

33. They are home schooled I believe.

As all good children of the RW are. :shrug:

[bunnies]

42. Obama doesnt drag his kids around with him.

So what exactly are you trying to say? :shrug: Show me ONE instance of anyone attacking Obama for "abandoning" his children.

There is no reason Palins kids cant be in school... where they belong.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

2. THEY ARE JUST PROPS

AND I THINK THE BABY IS HER SON'S ISSUE THE WARRIOR

[Tallison]

3. Bristol's fiance just dropped out of high school

If I was either set up parents, I'd be apoplectic about that. It is so hard to be economically competitive without a college degree anymore, but I guess Todd Palin made out pretty well. Education is just not among the family's ethics?

:shrug:

[salbi]

4. They probably have tutors traveling with them

I know while John Edwards was campaigning they took their kids out of school to travel with them. There are enough valid reasons to trash Palin, I wouldn't use her kids.

[speedoo]

6. Good question.

Evidently, Obama's kids are back in Chicago, in school.

Palin is finished politically, IMO. I just hope this experience is not too damaging for her kids.

[spanone]

7. cause they're worth their weight in votes with the mcccaniacs

[DB1]

9. Because they are home schooled by their parents who are never home, duh.

[dancingme]

10. They will be in 2 weeks!!

back to Alaska and the life with "real" Americans instead of the adoring crowds.

[glitch]

11. They are being home-schooled by Sarah, the Wonder Mother. nt

[blitzburgh55]

12. I always ask that question too

they sure as hell aren't going to get any smarts from their parents, they need a good schoolin' :)

[Lucky 13]

13. Book learnin's for the lower 48.

Sad fact is the graduation rate in Alaska is AWFUL.

[cojoel]

14. home schooled

RW extemists home-school their kids so they don't learn things like science...

[nannycee]

16. Homeschooling and homeschoolers should not be attacked. Just saying. N/T

[cojoel]

24. wasn't meaning to attack home schooling/schoolers

The motivations for religous zeolots doing it was my only intended target, and it seems to be mostly driven by evolution. Not meaning to offend....

[nannycee]

26. Aw, ok, thanks for explaining! n/t

[npincus]

36. I don't think they are.

How could she-- as governor of a state, and Todd the shadow-governor. I don't belive this is true.

[JohnMcCant2008]

15. at least they won't fall behind in science...... nt

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Because they might be exposed to Satanic Darwinism? nt

[struggle4progress]

19. The state-approved texts don't have any pictures of dinosaur saddles!

[mtnsnake]

20. Why should they be in school when getting knocked up & married is more important

[chomper]

21. They are too dumb to go to school.

[moriah]

23. I'm not going to knock homeschooling, it can work. But...

... I think it would be fairly difficult for someone to homeschool two kids out on the campaign trail without lots of help.

I would rather see them pay a tutor for Piper and Willow than to see a $150k wardrobe expense -- as I said in another thread, if they have that much money to spare, I'd be happy to let them fix my teeth for 1/8th of the cost.

My mother was a single parent, worked full-time, and homeschooled me for two years -- I completed grades 8, 9, and 10 in those two years. But the reason we were able to do it was that Mom trusted me and I didn't betray that trust. I could wake up or go to sleep whenever I wanted to, watch soap operas, spend time on the computer, etc, but I had to have all of that day's work done by the time she got home. I also usually cooked in the afternoon. She would come home, we'd eat dinner, and then we'd go over the work I'd done and see if there was anything she needed to clear up for me.

For math and science, subjects my mother didn't feel she was expert at, we did correspondence courses through the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and through Duke University. For the cost of the UNL courses they sent all the lab equipment that I needed for physical science and chemistry labs, but I really didn't do a biology lab -- Mom didn't want the smell of formaldehyde in the house.

All in all, we spent about 2 hours each night going over classwork and discussing reading assignments.

I went back to public school, they tested me and they said I could have skipped 11th as well, but they encouraged me to enter as an 11th-grader because of the National Merit competition. Because of homeschooling, I was able to start in AP Chemistry and AP Physics my 11th grade year, and I did AP Biology and Microbiology for my senior year, and was a monitor for the AP Chemistry class.

-------

As for the critics who say that Michelle and Barack shouldn't send their kids to private school.... the reason we homeschooled was that the public schools in my area had major issues. I was one of those geeky teacher's pet kids, with way too high of a vocabulary, so I was picked on mercilessly in public school. When the teacher was a good one, it didn't cross over from the playground and bus stop to the classroom, so I could cope.

But by the time I was almost done with 4th grade, I'd had my glasses broken by other kids innumerable times, been beat up several times, gotten a concussion, and finally a girl shoved me into playground equipment -- I tried to keep from hitting my head again and instead my arm slammed into the railing of a metal slide. The playground aide apparently saw what happened, but when I went to her and asked to go to the nurse's office she said "You aren't bleeding, I'm not letting you out of here." I must have been pretty adrenaline-ized because I smarted off to her for the first time ever and said "I'm going anyway". Two sixth-graders, Boy Scouts, saw the commotion and then saw my very pale face and shaky walk and carried me. Nurse didn't think it was broken but splinted it anyway, and Mom reluctantly picked me up from school.

The x-ray was startling -- the outer bone of my left arm had shattered, there was a two inch gap where you couldn't even see any bone fragments. (The adrenaline/endorphins finally wore off about 30 minutes after Mom got me home and was running to the pharmacy to pick up my pain meds -- I think I howled for about another half-hour until the medicine kicked in.)

Mom then insisted on meeting with the principal at that school, and they refused to do anything about it saying that any fight on the playground had to be two-sided and they wouldn't do anything to the girl unless I took the same punishment. Mom then sent me to a private school for two years, until she couldn't afford it even with the financial aid they offered.

In 7th grade the bullying left the hallway and entered the classroom -- a science teacher was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and all of her classes were rowdy. My books were thrown in the aquarium, glasses broken three times, and a needle from Home Ec jabbed into the back of my neck, all during class.

When Mom went to the principal this time, I was with her, and the guy pulled out a BIBLE (in Public School!) and said that I needed to pray for God to give me the strength to put up with it.

I was withdrawn from school the next day.

Sometimes public schools just aren't the best thing for the individual child. I'm not going to say that all children should be homeschooled, or that homeschooling would even be good for all children. Many kids really love the interaction between their classmates, they're popular or at least not bullied, or they can't be trusted to independently study. My social life was the BBS scene, though -- I met a lot of kids my age that way, and interacted a lot with adults (even if a few of the interactions were a bit creepy.)

[gauguin57]

25. And, as I've been obsessing about for weeks ... IS Trig getting early-intervention services?

Children with special needs need early-intervention therapy when they are BABIES in order for them to meet their full potential. If he's not getting those services because his mother is toting him all over the country like a sack of potatoes, then Sarah sucks as a mom.

I know two kids who ARE in school ... Malia and Sasha Obama. I know because their Dad took them to school on the first day, but refused to have any photographers to publicize it, for the sake of the girls.

What up, Palins? Maybe Todd is homeschooling them in the fine art of snowmobiling and butting into his wife's governmental responsibilities.

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. I doubt it.

[TimeChaser]

28. Dude, my mom asked me the same thing on the phone a few hours ago

Mommy? :hide:

But really, to Palin it seems their usage as props trumps their own well-being.

[Versailles]

30. I'd put money on it...

I'd bet some big bucks that they have paid a tutor for the kids during travel and when Mom is off memorizing her points. At the very least, the schools have agreed to let the kids out for an extended time with the assignments being emailed or pre-arranged. As a former teacher, I've had students that have had to go to surgery or gotten an extended illness and I have arranged with the parents to send assignments via e-mail or home with another student. It is annoying, but I would think that most teachers probably wouldn't challenge a governor if that gov. said, "My kids are traveling with me for the next 2 months, give me their assignments."

[BlooInBloo]

31. Because they're christianists.

[davidpdx]

32. The younger two are probably aspiring to me like their older sister

knocked up and unmarried before they graduate high school.

[Raschel]

34. I think it's a very bad example. A week or two off is one thing, but

for the kids to be off for this long and paraded in front of everyone looks very bad.

If they were going to keep them out and tutor them, the least they could do is keep them under the radar.

Someone who wants to lead should be sending a better message than this. Palin acts as if this campaign is one big Clearinghouse Sweepstakes win. (hey, whatever happened to them?)

[No Elephants]

37. Could be worse. Sarah could be home schooling them.

[JTFrog]

38. They won't make good props hidden away at home or school. Besides she's not done shopping

for their school clothes yet. She may need another six figure bailout.

[onenote]

39. I wouldn't hesitate to take kids out of school for two months

For a once in a lifetime experience.

[salbi]

41. I agree

I posted earlier that she probably does have tutors traveling with them. The Edwards family pulled their kids out of school for a year to travel with them. They just got home schooled. I'm sure Sarah is doing the same thing. Since she is a little busy, I'd like to think she has tutors doing it for her. I have no problem bashing her on real issues and on her shopping expeditures but this seems silly to me.

[polichick]

40. They're attending the school of Psycho Sarah, who's done just fine...

...with a smile, a wink and constant lip wetting.

[Blue Belle]

43. Because they need the props...

It's all part of the "Palin" narrative.