Education Secretary Arne Duncan, standing, joined the President and first lady as they chatted and read books with children at a D.C. charter school Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (CNN) - A group of lucky Washington schoolchildren received a lesson Tuesday that they'll never forget.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama made a suprise visit to a local charter school, joking that they wanted to get out of the White House.
Watch: President, first lady read to kids at D.C. school
During their visit, the first couple read a copy of "The Moon Over Star" - a book about the 1969 moon landing - to 25 stunned second-graders at the Capital City Public Charter School.
The excited children mobbed Obama, tugging at the president and offering him drawings.
Asked to name his favorite superhero, the president identified Spiderman and Superman.
He also divulged that he didn't always want to be president. As a kid, said Obama, he wanted to be an architect.
During the presidential campaign, Obama promised, among other things, to double charter school funding, boost support for math and science education, and promote merit pay for teachers.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
This is so great....feel sorry for those who cannot see the beauty and wisdom in it.
good thing no airplanes crashed during this appearance!!
I Love my President's and Ms. O
If you ever stop by one of the far right websites you'll notice two things: 1) they have some members who are on all day every day, and 2) they frequently encourage members to flood polls and forums to skew the results.
So when you see a bunch of hateful posts all one after the other, keep in mind that that is due to well-organized online campaigns rather than popular sentiment.
Hey Vedado -
Why must you turn everything into a racial issue? I don't care what color the man's skin is. What I am concerned about is this man has had some pretty questionable nominations that HE picked. Two of them stepped down today (Daschle and Killefer). It seems to me he should be a little more concerned with what is going on at the White House rather than escaping to an "awe inspiring" photo op in front of a bunch of "stunned" 8 year olds, who by the way, their grandkids will still be paying off the pork bill your boy is trying to rush through.
BTW, I just love the look on Michelle's face. She really looks happy, or should I say "proud for the first time in her life" to be there.
Careful With that merit raise stuff. Remember the Teacher's Unions supported you.
By this time in GWB first term he was on vacation and nobody was complaining. hmmmmmmm
bibi - if you are a teacher, it is sad that you do not know the difference between the words 'effect' and 'affect', and it is no wonder that American students have no spelling or language skills
I'm sure those kids will never forget that moment.
Find it really adorable they gave him drawings.
No Hillary = No Obama,
You're somewhat of a celebrity as well – you sound like a Bozo (the clown).
Maybe some of those kids will grow up to not pay their taxes.
oh brother.
Jeff February 3rd, 2009 5:41 pm ET
We know Obama can read – that's all he did during his campaign. He would have been stumped had the kids asked him a question that required intelligent, original thought.
******************************
Right and I'm sure he got his HARVARD degree from a cereal box.
Grow up and help OUR country move forward not back.
How many men out there are now inspired to go do the same thing?
Karen in Missouri –get over yourself! I VOLUNTEER at a Christian school every day. ALL the teachers are volunteer and the school is tuition-free. I also home-school a neighbor who was falling through the cracks and being bullied in the government school. So please stop acting like libs are the only people on earth who care about others.
I was saying that this is a very good thing your President does here–that is reading to the children. This country is the best to have a President that will do this! I thought I pressed submit, but now I don't know.
NICE!
If anybody really thinks that Obama was there for any reason other than to put on a show for his liberal media buddies and mindless "starstruck" minions...well, I have some ocean front property in Kansas you might be interested in.
It seems silly to take the negative comments here seriously, especially when folks compare Obama with Bush. These ridiculously sarcastic remarks only serves to highlight Obama's exceptional qualities as a public servant. Or they reveal the commentator's darkly obsessive hatred and jealousy. Hopefully it's not the latter. All that negative energy has got to be hard on you!
Bush was "grilled for the same thing" because he sat there like a stooge while the Towers were being attacked. He also didn't ever FUND education, just enacted laws to force schools to bring up test scores without the money to add tutors, texts, teachers...there IS a difference.
photo op or not? this falls under his job description. so you haters can hate all you want, i am just basking in the victory. still excited that he is the president. believe it or not, every time he is on tv the excitment comes right back.
as for the economic crisis, foreign policy mess, partisan politics etc. etc........remember W? he was around for 8 years and he only left just 2 weeks ago. so sit back, cross your fingures and hope that the damage will be repaired in the next 8 years and the mess is possible to clean in the Obama terms.
It was nice of the kids to help him with the big words, too!
To you "yahoos" complaining about the President leaving the White House for a morning, GWB was ON VACATION at Crawford or Camp David for more than half of his Presidency. Working? Don't think so...caring about us? I'm sure not. Clearing his head? Could have been done in one day per year.
Maybe he can read a children's book but he sure hasn't shown he can read the vetting docs on his potential nominees. Stop the nonsense with all the tax evading crooks. Give us some tax paying, "patriotic" nominees that we can support!
How nice. What a great way to make Americans feel a little better in these times. Fixing the crisis has to be both work and moral. He's doing the work, and he's raising the moral.