I learned a lot in public schools that I couldn't have learned anywhere else. I learned what real people were like from all walks of life and backgrounds. I learned how to get along with them. I learned how to hold my own. I learned when to keep quiet and when to speak up. I learned how to teach myself when my teachers failed (a skill which has served me throughout my career). I learned how to consider and counter opinions different from my own. I learned how to thrive in broken systems (another skill that has served me throughout my career).