Selecting the right school for your child can be one of the most stressful decisions parents face. The variety of school choice options only adds to the complexity of the decision-making process. No matter what option youโre considering, the ultimate goal is to find a school where your child can thrive.
We’ve put together a series interviewing parents who have made different school choices, hoping to help you feel more informed.
Below, weโve spoken with a public school parent to gather insights that may help clarify your decision.
What initially led you to choose public school for your child?
My husband and I were both raised by public school teachers and had positive school experiences that provided us with a solid education and extracurricular involvement opportunities. We chose to send our children to public school for those same academic and social opportunities, as well as to support the community we live in. We believe that when the community supports and strengthens its public schools, those school systems will strengthen the wider community right back.
What unique opportunities or experiences has public school provided for your child?
We love that our schools offer a wide variety of experiences so kids can discover what interests them most. ย It seems like there is something for everyone! Our boys have found that their interests lie in robotics, cross country, student council and tennis. They receive enrichment services through the gifted program and have participated in the annual Economics and Entrepreneurship competition and Technology Student Association leadership conference. They have competed in Battle of the Books reading competitions and have served as a buddy in a partnership program that promotes inclusion among their classmates.
How does this schooling method support your familyโs values and lifestyle?
Our family believes strongly in the idea of community and in playing an active role in supporting our neighbors when and how we can. We embrace the diversity of the global world and want our children to have a school experience that mimics the culture and diversity of the world they will work and live in someday.
What have been the biggest challenges within your choice of schooling, and how have you/your child overcome them?
The biggest challenge we have experienced in our boysโ education is the teacher shortage, which has become an epidemic in Oklahoma. Poor pay, waning social esteem and political intrusion have sent many passionate and qualified teachers into surrounding states or early retirement. With emergency certifications up to 4,676 as of 2024, we worry about the availability of qualified teachers for our boys in this state.
How does your child experience community and/or belonging within your method of schooling?
Our boys have found a strong sense of belonging through the team sports they play at school and through the community recreational leagues. Their peers are more than just classmates, they are also their teammates, their neighbors and their friends. They play together, walk to school together, and study together. ย They are surrounded by adults who pour into that cycle of community by coaching, teaching or mentoring students through programs like Watch D.O.G.S. or Miller Mentors. Parents are encouraged to partner with the schools at Donuts for Dads or Literacy Night programs, while fundraising events like movie screenings and BINGO nights give our boys a chance to spend time with their school friends, as we gather with our neighbors and contribute to the financial needs of our schools.
How has your child’s mental health been impacted by your choice of schooling?
Public school has had a positive impact on our childrenโs confidence and independence. Things arenโt always easy at school much like things arenโt always easy in life, and learning to manage and persevere through many school experiences has strengthened the resolve and the mental health of our boys. The stress and pressure of running for the Student Council, the physical agony of training for cross-country meets, and the various social scenarios that must be navigated and mediated have all contributed to growing our boys into stronger, more confident individuals.
In what ways can you see that public school is equipping your child for long-term success?
For me, โlong-term successโ means a full and balanced life. I do hope my boys find a career they love that affords them a good life, but I also hope they acquire talents and hobbies that interest them and develop interpersonal skills that allow them to enjoy close friendships/relationships. Our schools have passionate teams of teachers, counselors, and advisors who are guiding our boys toward the academic opportunities that will best prepare them for their post-graduate future, as well as helping them find the extracurricular niche that will bring them joy in the long term.
I also think my boys are equipping themselves for long-term success by learning how to collaborate in any situation with any type of person. Public schools are wonderfully heterogeneous, which means that any time my children work collaboratively with their classmates, they are learning how to work with many different kinds of people, much like theyโll be expected to do in their future careers.
Jessica Purdum is an elementary school teacher for Yukon Public Schools. Throughout her career, which has spanned almost twenty years, she has taught 2nd and 3rd grade and currently teaches elementary gifted education and serves as a virtual teacher to Yukonโs intermediate virtual students. She and her husband, Garrett, have two sons and live in Yukon.
