Ever since the election, students attending schools in the D.C. area have been buzzing with curiosity and rumors as to where Barron Trump will be attending school next year. Students wondered whether he would go to St. Alban’s, one of the more conservative schools in DC, or whether he’d go to boarding school outside of D.C. But now it’s final and kid’s don’t need to wonder anymore – Barron Trump will be attending St. Andrew’s Episcopal School this fall as announced by Melania Trump.
St. Andrew’s is known to be proud of it’s diversity in many areas and relatively liberal. The website states, “the school seeks a broadly diverse community to promote educational excellence”. This component appears to contradict Trump’s nationalistic ideology, so that’s why the news is quite surprising to some D.C. residents.
Trump suggests he does not believe a diverse community to be a priority through, for example, his choice of cabinet which is far from a diverse selection of individuals. He also reflects his intolerance towards a diversity through some of his controversial statements and actions in speeches. Some examples of this is the Muslim ban he called for and mocking a disabled reporter.
Students at St. Andrew’s also have an opinion on the subject, as this may affect them in the next school year. “I don’t think Donald Trump had any position in this whatsoever in this decision, and the ones who visited [the school] were Barron and Melania.” Elizabeth Huebner, a current sophomore at St. Andrew’s Episcopal school said.
Melania Trump was praising the school for it’s diversity and values. “We are very excited for our son to attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. It is known for its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence” she said in a statement.
It will be interesting to see how student life will be affected by this new member to the school community next school year, if much at all. In a letter to parents of children attending St. Andrew’s published in the Washington Post, the school addresses the question of security, saying “security will continue to work smoothly and discreetly”, but will the school be facing any social or political changes?
Elizabeth Huebner doesn’t feel like she’ll be personally impacted. “I think next year everyone’s going to be a little more careful in what they say in terms of politics and social views, but I don’t think it will affect me personally very much because he’s going to be at least four grades below me,” she said.
Although there has been no conclusive public diagnosis, there have been rumours that Barron Trump may be on the autism spectrum, or have another type of special need. Whether or whether not he is a special needs child, St. Andrew’s is known to be committed to supporting students with a diverse range of needs and learning paces. This may have been one of the factors leading to the Trump’s decision to send Barron to this school.
The website states, “teachers use differentiated instruction, not ability grouping. Research shows this improves learning for all students”. The differentiation method is a useful technique to use when students have a diverse range of abilities, as it is designed to address each student’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
Whatever the reason for the Trump’s decision to send Barron to St. Andrew’s, he will hopefully have a smooth entrance into the new school year in DC. It will be interesting to see how the New York City boy adapts to the Capital, and to see a preteen in the White House again.