Stoddert Elementary 5th Graders Featured in TIME Magazine

A class of 5th grade students from Glover Park's Stoddert Elementary wowed a TIME Magazine reporter, Katy Steinmetz, who recently profiled a debate and mock election in the article "America’s Next President, As Predicted By Fifth Graders."

The students in Mr. Dingledine’s debated whether President Barack Obama would be reelected in 2012 and held a vote after opposing sides presented their views on the matter.

Throughout the article, Steinmetz compliments the adept analysis the students provided, comparing their positions to the actual language of the Obama website and a recent article by Joe Klein in TIME.

This passage perhaps best exemplifies the caliber of the debate and the writer's reaction to the students:

Daniella took the stage supporting Obama, and did what many a seasoned pol would do: she blamed George W. Bush. She then articulated a fundamental argument that will drive the general election. “The economic recovery will take years to kick in, so Obama needs to be reelected to finish the job,” she said. “Because once you start something, you have to finish it. And if someone else takes his place, they might make it worse.” She actually used the words economic recovery. Twenty-year-olds out there, get ready for Daniella to be your boss.

To read more about local kids putting neighborhood schools on the map, read the full TIME article online.