Education Federal File

First Teacher?

By Michelle R. Davis — January 04, 2005 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Amy Carter attended a District of Columbia public school while her father was president. Now another first daughter may be forging a different kind of public school bond in the nation’s capital.

Jenna Bush, one of the twin daughters of President Bush and first lady Laura Bush, is rumored to be in the running for a job at the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington, according to a report last month in The Washington Post.

Linda R. Moore, the executive director of the 7-year-old school, said she couldn’t discuss the matter. “It’s a violation of our personnel policy to talk about it,” she said.

If Ms. Bush, 23, does end up at the charter school, she’d be working with some of the school’s 250 kindergarten through 6th grade pupils. Most of the students are from low-income families and are African-American or Hispanic, Ms. Moore said.

The school has French- and Spanish-immersion programs, she said, and students are required to take part in community service.

“We put an emphasis on high academic standards and preparing students to be leaders in the community,” she said.

The first lady’s press office did not return a phone call, but a spokesman for Mrs. Bush told the Post that Jenna Bush would live in Washington and work at a public school.

Jenna Bush graduated from the University of Texas last spring with a bachelor’s degree in English, while her sister, Barbara, who has spoken of wanting to work with HIV-infected children, graduated from their father’s alma mater, Yale University.

Education Students for Bush

College students who voted in the 2004 presidential election favored Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee, over President Bush, according to a post-election survey. But the president had pockets of support among certain groups, including education majors.

The survey of 1,200 students was conducted Nov. 9-19 for the Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, a research organization housed at the University of Maryland College Park. The survey showed that 55 percent voted for Sen. Kerry and 41 percent for President Bush. It had a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

In the breakdown by major, support for Mr. Bush was highest among education majors, with 51 percent. Support for Mr. Kerry was highest among those majoring in the arts and humanities, at 66 percent.

The survey showed that there was a spike in college-student voting, said William A. Galston, the director of CIRCLE. Though students favored Mr. Kerry, Democrats aren’t always assured of those votes.

A version of this article appeared in the January 05, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Is AI Out to Take Your Job or Help You Do It Better?
With all of the uncertainty K-12 educators have around what AI means might mean for the future, how can the field best prepare young people for an AI-powered future?
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum Understanding Learning Differences
Join this free virtual event for insights that will help educators better understand and support students with learning differences.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 14, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read