The Political Insider

2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren told a critic recently that she sent her children to public schools in an effort to avoid criticism over her opposition to school choice.

But there’s a big problem: Warren’s son, Alex, went to an expensive private school starting when he was in fifth grade.

Is Warren Lying?

Warren held an event along with fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Rep. Ayanna Pressley. The event was interrupted by school choice protesters. They confronted Warren over her “Great Public Schools” plan that would give more federal dollars to public schools, but also effectively end “school choice” programs that allow poorer students to attend better schools using public funds.

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School choice activist Sarah Carpenter debated Warren over school choice, telling the 2020 candidate that, “We are going to have the same choice that you had for your kids because I read that your children went to private schools.”

My children went to public schools,” Warren shot back.

“Even if it was public school, it probably was the best public school,” Carpenter responded.

Regardless, Warren wasn’t being truthful.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, Warren’s daughter attended public school, but her son, Alex, went to the Kirby Hall School, which costs about $15,000 a year. Alex is even featured in the school’s yearbooks.

So Warren was basically able to choose a private school that best met her son’s needs because she had the means to do so–something she would deny poorer parents and students.

This is precisely the point the pro-school choice activists were trying to make to Warren, but apparently that message fell on deaf ears.

“Elizabeth’s daughter went to public school. Her son went to public school until 5th grade,” Warren’s campaign said in a written statement. “Elizabeth wants every kid to get a great education regardless of where they live, which is why her plan makes a historic investment in our public schools. Every public school should be a great school.”

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‘Pro-Choice?’

“Her plan does not affect funding for existing non-profit charter schools, but she believes we should not put public dollars behind a further expansion of charters until they are subject to the same accountability requirements as public schools,” the statement added.

But non-profit charter schools are, of course, not what Carpenter and the pro-school choice activists are talking about. That is just one “school choice” option.

Warren’s detailed education plan, which is available on her campaign website, specifically says that she will discontinue voucher programs. If she has her way, poor kids will not have the schooling option that her son did.

So much for being “pro-choice.”