Three O’Clock High

Serh Efe

Age: 33

Resides:: Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Occupation:
Psychotherapist

Do you send your kids to public school? I have sent my children to public school. But
I’m not really confident about it. I grew up in the public school system. I know they lack standards, but that’s all I can offer for my
children right now.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? Definitely.

Did you get a good education? No. I educated myself for the most part.

Natalie Jovanovic

Age: 26

Resides:: Soho

Occupation: Actress

Will you send your kids to public school? No.
If I raised my children in New York, absolutely I would send my kids
to private school. I
went to private school in the city and I had friends who went to public school, so I know the differences.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? Yes. Maybe they would get a
better taste of what’s lacking in society. I
can understand it that they don’t, though.

Did you get a good education? Absolutely.

Kimberly Jones

Age: 18

Resides:: North Bronx

Occupation: Student

Will you send your kids to public school? No. It’s not good enough. The teachers don’t care. And
they’re scared of the
students, so it’s the students who run
the class.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? I would have more faith in
them if they did. But I don’t blame them.
It’s horrible.

Did you get a good education? No. I went
to public school. They just assume you
don’t have any aspirations.

Zamile Vilakazi

Age: 19

Resides:: Village

Occupation: Student

Will you send your kids to public school? Probably not. I grew
up in the private school system. The Boston public school system
is not good enough. And some of the
curriculum in the public schools, I don’t
agree with. For example, history is taught with a skewed perspective about slavery and the Civil Rights movement.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? No. They’re parents and have the
same rights as any other parents.

Did you get a good education? Absolutely.

Nancy Murray

Age: 41

Resides:: Chelsea

Occupation: Publishing

Will you send your kids to public school? I have a daughter in a
private nursery school now. We’re considering what to do.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? It’s an interesting gesture when they do. It certainly gives them more information about what the schools are like.

Did you get a good education? I went through public school until sixth grade. Then I went to a private school. I was grateful I had a chance to do that because it was a much
better school.

Reality

Age: 32

Resides:: Brooklyn

Occupation: Sound
engineer/Poet

Will you send your kids to public school? I would not. I’d send them to learn basic reading and writing
and take them out when they get to things like history. It’s false the way they teach it.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? They should. That way they can see the problem.

Did you get a good education? Not from
public school. I spent the last five years of
my life re-educating myself. Anyone who
relies on other races to be educated, that’s slavery. The public school system is only good for rich whites.

Amy Lynn Fischer

Age: 28

Resides:: Willamsburg, Brooklyn

Occupation: Publishing sales rep

Will you send your kids to public school? Yes. It’s cheaper than private school.

Should politicians send their kids to public school? Absolutely. If you represent the
community, you ought to be a part of that. It’s pretty pathetic that they don’t. It’s a
clear indication of what they think of our school system.

Did you get a good education? Yes. I had a
lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had at a private school. My school had a great
performing arts curriculum.