I am the product of a public school education. My earliest, most formative years were spent in the public school system, paid for by local taxpayers. At my school I learned about leadership as co-founder of an all-girls floor hockey team, a safety patrol officer and after-school, as a girl scout. We learned about Earth Day, Greek mythology, and Anansi the Spider. We learned how to make origami and visited the Liberty Science Center.

It was also in public school that I struggled to learn to read. My learning difficulties were observed and I was sorted into the multisensory learning classroom, where we participated, visualized, and listened to the material being taught. We lived it. In that supportive environment, I learned to read. Still, in middle school, I was given an extra study hall to be able to process and complete my assignments on time. By High School, I was an honors student. The system did right by me – I am a public school success story.

(more…)