I count myself lucky to have had a wonderful educational experience. I went to the best elementary school in the country, William H. Barkley on De Stafno street in Amsterdam, NY. The school was amazing because it focused on excellent teaching, nurturing students, and strong communitarian values that stressed service, compassion and character. Not a day goes by that I don't think of something amazing I learned from one of my teachers like Mrs. Yurkawecz, Mrs. Hoyer, Mrs. MacDougal, Mr. and Mrs. Blance -- the list could go on. I count myself truly blessed to have been able to attend such a great public school. If every child in the country had a Barkley experience, we would be beating China, Europe and every other nation in the world in academic performance.
When it came time to go to middle school, my family and I opted out of the public schools and into my parish's school, St. Mary's Institute of Amsterdam. I loved my St. Mary's Institute experience. I made lifelong friends and had exceptional teachers who continued the education I began in the public schools, and then the switch to St. Mary's reinforced the values that I learned at Barkley.
I remember a lunchtime conversation at St. Mary's in which a classmate asked me, "Which did you like better, public or private?" Perhaps in a sign of my future study of politics, I answered, "both." Fifteen years later I still think the answer is "both." The choices I made with my parents were focused on what was right for me at the time. Barkley was great for me. St. Mary's was great for me. My parents are the hardest working people I know, and they sacrificed so I could attend St. Mary's Institute; I should thank them every day for having done that.
However, not every child in the country can attend a school as amazing as Barkley and not every child has the chance to make a choice between public and private schools. Tuition at schools near my apartment building costs more than my bachelor's degree ($30,000, $32,600 and $34,000), while the lowest cost private school in DC is in the $10,000 range. In comparison, in zip code 20020 the median household income is $24,905.
