[Hoot Gibson]

As I said, those who can do and those who can't populate the government schools. You appear to be displaying a bit of jealousy. Ejoy your wiener with goodly splash of yellow mustard.

This statement is not true at all. In areas where public schools are very bad and good private schools are available, then certainly parents who care about their kids' education and can afford private school tuition send their children to private schools. Something that people who have your condescending attitude toward public schools really do not understand is that within most large public schools, the upper echelon of students receive an excellent education.

The problem with most public schools is that they fail to properly educate the majority, or at least a sizable minority of their students. There is little or no difference in the academic achievement and potential of students graduating near the top of their class, whether they have attended a private or a public high school. Private schools generally excel at educating children that are not academically gifted and that is where public schools often fail.

This country is full of shining examples of very well educated people who attended public schools - many of whom attended some of the worst public schools in the country. Dr. Ben Carson is a product of the Detroit public school system. Dr. Thomas Sowell emerged from the public schools of Harlem.

Here in northern Virginia, the best academic schools are public schools and most people who send their children to private schools do so for religious reasons.

I am a frequent critic of the public school systems in this country but it is hard to believe that there are people who feel superior simply because they attended a private high school.