I have spent nearly my entire life outside of the public school system.  I attended public school in grades K-4, and my older daughter attended a public school in kindergarten and first grade.  Nevertheless, I know that a strong public school system benefits everyone, even those of us whose lives only minimally intersect with the public education sector.

Schools similar to Charles Wright educate less than 2% of America’s school-aged children.  All nonpublic schools together educate just over 10%.  This means that the overwhelming majority of American youth attend public schools.  The future of both our economy and our democracy is highly dependent on public schools to provide a solid education to this majority.

I am clearly a strong proponent of private education.  I personally benefited tremendously from my private school education, as did my wife and my two daughters.  I work each day in a private school to provide the best possible education for the children under my care. American families should have the right, if they wish, to provide for their children an alternative to a state-run public school.  However, as providing an education adequate for the future is among the most important duties and responsibilities of one generation for the benefit of succeeding generations, all of us should support public education as best we can.

Two of the ways in which those of us in private education can support public education is through helping to provide adequate funding for public education and to  participate thoughtfully in electing school board members in our home school districts.  As each of us exercises our right and responsibility as an American to vote in the upcoming election, I hope that all of us will think carefully about how we can best support the children who are in the public schools in our area.