No one ever bothered to tell me, from the time I started kindergarten to the day I graduated high school, that there was a negative stigma surrounding public school. I mean, I guess in the back of my head I knew it existed, but it never became real to me until I started college at a private, Christian university just one town over from where I had gone to school my whole life. All of a sudden, I was attending class with graduates of homeschool, private school, charter school, magnet school, and a bunch of other types of schools. Some of them had tried public school, and it just wasn't the right fit for their family. But I was amazed at the vast majority of students who had never attended public school and were still so strongly opposed to the idea of it.
As an advocate of the public school system, I understand that; however, it's a wonderful thing for most of children and families even though it just doesn't work for everyone.That's OK. None of the things that the anti-public-schoolers have said to me are wholly untrue, they just weren't applicable to my journey. I have my public school system to thank for that. Here's my slightly biased (but not wholly untruthful response) to the flack I continue to get for attending public school.
"How can you get a proper education when the building is falling apart?"
The year after I graduated from Jefferson County High School a portion of our roof fell in. Everyone somehow knows about that. During my time there, there was mold in the classrooms, the roof leaked, and the school was way too crowded, so many of our classes were in portable classrooms which we referred to as "the trailer park." To put it nicely, my high school was run down.
It wasn't pleasant, but the last time I checked, education is not about pleasantries. It is about learning. After the first couple of weeks of my first year of high school, I learned to overlook the structural problems of my school. Even my brother, who attended after the great roof collapse, learned to work around the construction workers that became commonplace in day to day student life.
"You must have just been one of 'those kids.'"
If you mean one of the driven kids who was going to succeed in spite of all of the obstacles that stand in her way, then yes, I was. If you mean one of the rich kids who had parents with connections and was a gifted student athlete with an IQ that registered brilliant, then no, I wasn't. The latter type does exist, but you can still succeed if you aren't a part of it.
In fact, I was told from an early age that I wasn't good enough, but it just made me try harder. My hand-eye coordination is horrible, but it's not a disability. It's not something I need to go to the doctor for. It's called "my Creator designed me that way." I made straight A's even though I didn't test as brilliant or "gifted." It's called willpower, and it's a choice you have to make for yourself from an early age. I didn't have any special "in's" or connections, but I was a self-starter who jumped through every hoop to make them.
"I've heard they teach evolution there."
The phrase Tennessee uses is "change over time." And there's a pretty big difference between a teacher and a minister. The job of my public school teachers wasn't to indoctrinate me with all types of opinions and theologies. Their job was to teach the facts based off of what the evidence suggested. I never once heard a thing in science class (or any other class for that matter) that made me question my belief in God. As a biology major and a Christian, I'm doing just fine.
"Well, you did not get the education you deserved."
The American Constitution does not list education as a fundamental right. In fact, though many Americans treat education as an implied right, Supreme Court jurisprudence in no way suggests that it is. I did not struggle with the transition to college. My grades are wonderful and I'm hanging right in there with my peers from different educational backgrounds. I take a lot of pride in where I came from.
My friends and I joke a lot about our Jefferson County education, but the truth is I learned so much there. I learned to think for myself, navigate through the hallways in seven minutes, and fight my way to the top of the ladder. I can't imagine any place better than the Jefferson County public school system for the jumpstart of my education. I hope my children go to public school someday too, but if they don't, then that will be okay.
And on one last note to my friends who are still worried, "It wasn't your roof that fell in, anyhow." Keep it classy, JeffCo.
