I remember the very first time I learned about the caste system of India. I realized that's exactly what the social structure of public schools are like. I don't want to dwell too much on all the crap that happened, so I'll just say that it's a crying shame when a girl has to use her fists against other girls to stop physical abuse. Of course, I got in trouble for that. Zero tolerance, right? Fighting didn't stop the verbal abuse, but at least no one laid a finger on me again. I stopped telling my parents about everything that went on because there was nothing they could do. My husband had it worse, and his parents weren't at all sympathetic. To this day, I have to bite my tongue whenever my parents and in-laws say anything favorable about public schools. I home school my own children. There's no way I'm letting the establishment have them, especially as things are worse, not better.

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