A Vote for Public Schools

The concluding paragraph of Pasquale Gigliotti’s article is correct: “What we all ought to do, of course, is to send our kids to public school, use our time and energy to make sure the publics do what they were created to do. . . .” (Other Views, “A Lifelong Schooling in the Cost of a Good Education,” Oct. 21).

My son had a very fine elementary school education at a private, religiously affiliated, highly regarded school in Beverly Hills. He had bright classmates and fine teachers. Now that he is in public junior high school in Los Angeles, he has far more very bright classmates from a variety of ethnic groups and, again, fine teachers.

For $6,000 a year we could be buying status, more homework and excessive pressure and competition. Instead, we are content with a son who is learning a great deal in excellent classes, working hard, making many friends and expressing his excitement about school.

ANN BOURMAN

Los Angeles