Day 1 in DC - 2/16/12

After a long red-eye, we finally arrived in DC at 6 am.  The biggest surprise was that the hotel allowed us to check in.  A little sleep was exactly what I needed since I didn't get much on the plane.  The rest was brief because I had made arrangements for the day.  Thanks to Congressman Herger's office, we had an appointment at the White House and the Capitol.  (Okay, maybe not an "appointment" but a "tour".)

My assistant principal - Deanna (who joined me for the symposium) and I found some energy and headed for the White House.  We were told to be there 15 minutes before our tour time, but arrived to a massive line.  We watched the school children in uniforms ahead of us.  [Note this as it will come up again later.]  We also noted the heavy security, dogs, secret service, and multiple check-points.  All to be expected.

At last it was our turn!  We entered the White House in awe.  Pictures of President Obama with his family and others lined the walls where we entered.  At this point I was certain that the President and/or his lovely wife would be coming to speak with me soon.  Just as we were about to move forward, we were instructed to (actually, yelled at) to move back against some doors.  Secret service agents came flooding in.  Word quickly spread: Mrs. Obama was going down the hall to her office.  We waited impatiently for a glimpse, a hello, anything!  After some time, we were instructed to move.  She was safely in her office.  The moment was gone.  I could hear a couple of children in our group begging an agent to see her.  "Pleeeeeaaaaasssssseeeeee."  I wanted to join in.

Our tour was lovely.  We walked through beautiful hallways, a ballroom, the red, green, and blue rooms.  We even saw the media taking down their cameras from where they had filmed Mrs. Obama just minutes before.  Ugh.  That hurt.

When the tour was done, I thought Mrs. Obama would come running out to say goodbye.  Instead, we were simply escorted (yes, escorted) off of the White House grounds.  Those secret service men sure are grumpy. :)

It wasn't until that evening that I discovered my inlaws were watching the news and saw that Mrs. Obama HAD come out and talked with a tour group.  Remember the uniformed school children?!  Of course!  I was minutes away from THE moment.  I'm still weeping.


We went on to have a wonderful personal tour of the Capitol by two of Herger's interns.  These "kids" did a great job and we got to take underground tunnels because of their clearance as well as see a few things that were not on a typical tour.  I was very impressed with their knowledge and willingness to teach us.

We had to hurry back to the hotel to get ready for the start of the TGC (Teachers for Global Classrooms) dinner.  It was nice to start to meet some of my colleagues.  Teachers from all over the country anxiously discussed where we were headed.  And so begins the journey!