Why I’m Terrified To Send My Kid to Public School

And why I’m going to do it anyway.

Come on in. Photo by SHTTEFAN on Unsplash

Last night, my husband and I both admitted to each other that we’re terrified to send our kid to Kindergarten next fall.

Almost no one we know is choosing public school, and I have tried (am trying) to be a cheerleader for it:

It’s important. It’s a place to spend time with people from all different backgrounds. Teachers are amazing. Think of all the time we’ll suddenly have while our kid’s at school!

But as much as I’ve parroted these pros, the cons feel big and scary.

Yes, teachers rock, but do I trust The System?

Little boxes made of ticky tacky. Photo by moren hsu on Unsplash

My kid turns 5 this summer, so school’s around the corner, but I had never set foot inside her school until this month. None of the families we know had been in there either. I decided that must be why school felt so scary to me: Usually when we’re afraid of something, we’re really just afraid of the unknown.

The principal gave me a tour, and for the most part, it put my mind at ease. K-2 has its own building, with art lining the walls and a…