I went to public school from Kindergarten through high school. There weren't any private schools in my home town, and no public transportation to the ones two town away. Instead, my parents worked with our teachers to try to improve our schools as much as possible. My mother was instrumental in getting a program for the "gifted" kids in the schools. She pointed out that there were programs in place for the slower-than-average-learners, wouldn't it simply be fair to have one for the faster-than-normal learners? (AKA those of us who were bored out of our gourds much of the time?) But I believe that's how public schools and education should work - in a partnership with parents and the community. But it is work.

I went to a public college as well, a State school - Mass College of Art, which was the only state-sponsored art school in the country.