and I still bemoan the fact that kids in my neighborhood go to a half dozen different schools, which prevents a lot of bonding among them. But that is due to open enrollment moreso than the presence of charter schools.

I was a strong critic of charter schools and pounded the drum of going public where you are districted for numerous reasons, including drawing on my own experiences from youth, where we weren't given a choice and had to learn do deal with what the world presented to us. All of that came crashing down when one of my sons was clearly not benefitting from the environment around him and needed a drastic change — so he took the leap to the charter school bubble and it turned out to be a game changer for him.

I no longer advocate for either side in the public v charter debate. Rather, I think open enrollment gives us the opportunity to better tailor to the needs of the individual, so to each his or her own as best suits the child.

Just my $.02