It’s surprising to me how much my perspective on public school has changed over the years. The first public school I attended was when I went to Purdue for college. Until my kids started going to our neighborhood school in CPS I had no direct experience with public primary education. I find myself a staunch supporter of public school these days. Our neighborhood school is an anchor point for the families in the neighborhood. It is supported by the local businesses. As US society continues to lose public 3rd spaces I’ve found that school is quickly becoming that 3rd space for me. Do my wife and I need to drop off and pick up the kids together? No, one of us could do that just fine. Is that time the needed social contact we get daily with other parents? Absolutely.