I am disabled and required 8 surgeries as a kid. I attended a school for the disabled that got transferred to another school that was its permeant replacement; another school for the disabled. The replacement was a public school, but due to its nature as a school for the disabled, and the fact many of us missed chunks of school due to surgeries etc.…, it was run like a private school with donations from a local charity to pay for special accommodations.  We had a mix of shop classes, home economics, computer and typewriter classes, swimming, physical and occupational therapies, and of course, our academics.

In first grade, I missed most of the school year as a result of a surgery, yet had no trouble keeping up due to being home-schooled during that time, with input from my teacher. As a matter of fact, my final math grade for the year was a 99%. This provided me a solid foundation for the rest of my life.

I was then transferred to a “regular” school, a public magnet school in fourth grade; because I no longer needed the special services of the school for the disabled I previously attended, however, was given “resource” class to help me adjust. However, that was mostly a waste of time. In sixth grade, I was tested at 2nd-year college reading level, carrying over from my earlier education. Aside from Spanish class, which I excelled, I got dumber as I went along. I used to be able to read music as easy as you can read this, but my music teacher was too lazy to teach and had us watching musicals all period, every day. This was a welcome break from the dull-drum of the rest of the day, but did nothing to teach us. I was literally bored to death, and got into a lot of trouble back then.

For some reason, I was transferred to another grammar school that I graduated from. Whoever the genius’ were, I had to switch from Spanish, which I now could speak, read and write as good as a native, to Greek. Spanish wasn’t available at this school. So three years of that went down the tubes. And despite my high reading and math levels, instead of being put in more challenging classes, I was forced to linger behind, with everyone else, even with the presence of more challenging classes. Because of all of this, I became dumber, and due to boredom, got into more trouble.

High school changed all of this. It was a public HS, but despite “resource” having been recommended to be ended for me in sixth grade; it was finally ended after my freshman year. I was put in more challenging Regents classes, where despite some skeptics from some of my teachers, I excelled. As a matter of fact, my biology class teacher, upon retiring after my senior year, told me mine was the last good class and noted my oral report on Forensic Anthropology as evidence of this. A sense of pride I had at the time. I once again had to take Spanish, but couldn’t pick it up again. I squeaked through algebra, despite having been so good in math most of my childhood. I can’t help thinking if I have taken more challenging courses earlier, I wouldn’t have had so much trouble. And If I didn’t have to switch from Spanish to Greek, I could have done much better in HS Spanish. I was also taught how to read music again, but due to the neglect from my previous music teacher, I couldn’t pick it up again either, as I had been able to do previously. My reading level decreased as well to grade level, instead of the level I was at previously.

Due to my personal experiences - being in public schools, a private school type of setting, and being home-schooled - has made me think that public schools are nothing more than warehousing; teaching to tests rather to the student’s potential, thereby making them dumber over time. I have experienced different school choices, and feel the competition would do a world of good for the kids who attend. I learned more and did my best when I wasn’t in a public school, and this trend is apparent to others who experienced being educated by other means as well. We need better results.