I am an advocate for public education. I think it is the bulwark against ignorance in our society. That being said, I was a product of Catholic school education where I spent twelve years learning both academically and religiously. When it came time for college I wanted to be part of a large public institution to offset what I had experienced during my development as a child. I found the balance to be rather remarkable in moulding me as a person. I became an adult formed by different perspectives that ultimately made me more aware of both our universal and individual human characteristics. 

When I had children of my own the cost of a private school education like I experienced had become financially unreachable. I supplemented my daughters’ public school education with regular attendance at Sunday mass and continuing Christian education classes. This provided them with enough knowledge from differing arenas to make their own decisions about how to view and live in the world. 

Emmanuel Kant famously argued that each of us sees the world from our own perspectives. Reality for a human is affected by what we think we see, which for most people is relatively limited. Education has the power to open our eyes to different perspectives, to widen our view of the world and its people. It should be the goal of schools to present ideas and skills and knowledge to the young people who come to them that make them more aware, but that is not always how it works. Each of us is limited by our particular backgrounds and points of view that either purposely or unwittingly color how we teach the young. For that reason one the best things schools might do is demonstrate to our children how to think critically and even how to think about their own thinking. 

Of late I have been teaching a group of youngsters who are homeschooled. I began with the eldest sons of two sisters. From there my reach expanded to include other members of the family as well as to friends who were in search of a math teacher. I have learned that homeschooling is far more complex than I had once imagined. The students rarely sit at home learning only from a mom or dad. Instead they attend classes in small groups called coops that are akin to private school without the high tuition and days long attendance. There is a great deal of flexibility and choice in homeschooling that can even include online classes offered by community classes and universities. What homeschooling is not about is just allowing kids to sit around the house all day doing little or nothing. It can take a great deal of work for parents of homeschoolers to keep up with the schedules. 

The two boys with whom I began were ready to begin classes at San Jacinto Junior College by the time they were sixteen years old. Within two years they had earned associates’ degrees. One of them is now working towards certification as an electrician and the other has been attending flight school in the hopes of becoming a pilot. They are thriving.  

Another of my students will complete his associate’s degree this semester and will begin classes at the University of Houston in January. He began taking online classes at Alvin Junior College before he was sixteen years old. He had attended a homeschool pod focused on a classical education in his younger years. I was his mathematics teacher from the time he was doing fifth grade work. He too has flourished in the home school environment but his parents have worked hard for years in their efforts to drive him from one class or group to another. It was hard work that has served their son well. 

From working in public schools and watching my daughters and grandchildren in public schools I have been mostly impressed by the level of excellence that I have witnessed. As with any large organization there is room for improvement, but overall our nation’s public schools are steadily working hard to educate an incredibly diverse population. Most young people today graduate with knowledge and abilities that few of our ancestors possessed. They have differing skills based on their individual interests and abilities but they are indeed ready to take the next steps in becoming adults. 

Differing ways of educating the young have differing results. Some children become superstars in public schools while others flounder for various reasons including difficulties at home, learning disabilities, and the level of effort they are willing to give to the process of learning. The same is true of those who attend private school or learn in a homeschool environment. It takes more than just good teachers or interested parents to get the most out of an educational experience. Our individual traits affect our learning perhaps more than any other variable. Grit and a growth mindset enable students to maintain determined efforts even in the face of challenges. The best thing we can do for our young learners is to encourage them to work hard and be willing to be unafraid to admit their difficulties. Honest efforts lead to success in the educational journey wherever it takes place. 

I am still a huge proponent of public education. I believe that for the vast majority of people it produces the best and most consistent results. I have now worked in the public, private, and homeschool sectors of the educational community. Overall the most consistently excellent, democratic and affordable learning takes place in our nation’s public schools. Not all private schools offer a quality program taught by qualified teachers. The best private schools of the lot are often beyond the means of even middle class families. Homeschooling can be exceptional with enough effort from the parents but without a high level of focused attention it can literally turn into a long play day for the kids. Everyone should think carefully about the many sacrifices that parents must make during the learning years of their children. For good results everyone has a job to do. It really does take a village to make it all work regardless of where the learning takes place.