What is it like being an alumni of a school that’s underfunded or neglected? Even if the school is “good” (as in well funded or private), does the learning environment reflect that? Also, the dark side of American schools (shootings) dampens peace of mind for parents since at any given moment some gun wielding individual can storm in murdering those inside (students, teachers, custodians, etc.)
Both my kids are in public schools in an ok California school district. But by ok I mean underfunded but with an active PTA that successfully keeps a lot of the music and arts programs functional. The grade 1 to 8 curriculum here is good, and not filled with ‘wokeness’ like the MAGAs scream about. The high-school curriculum really lacked depth particularly in language arts. My son’s 9th grade english class literally read cliffs notes of books and summaries instead of reading the books themselves. It’s been hit and miss in high-school and really depended on the teacher. Both kids have done very well but I take some credit for that due to their parents consistent involvement and engagement throughout the years.
As for school shootings, at least here, I’m not too worried. Our schools are locked down like prisons during teaching hours. It does weigh on my kids minds though. They’ve talked about their feelings doing “active shooter” drills. It’s just a scary reality for them that I certainly never had to deal with.