I was homeschooled for my early years in school, and then I went to a charter school from fourth grade to eighth grade. From ninth grade to now, my junior year, I have been at Page. There are pros and cons to the three different types of schools, public, charter, and homeschool, but I have learned so much from each school, and I’m not only talking about academically. 

At a homeschool, there’s more freedom than at any other school I have been to. I don’t have to rush to class before the bell or wait to eat my lunch until a certain time, and I can walk around in my pajamas all day. However, I only made friends through church and a few other groups like Girl Scouts. When I went to a charter school, I had many more opportunities to meet new people, but I had to wear the uniform: uncomfortable khaki pants and a polo shirt. The staff even considered putting restrictions on backpack color, but thankfully that idea did not follow through. Some people may see a uniform as a pro while others see it as a con, but I’d rather be comfortable and wear what I choose. Another benefit of charter schools, or at least the school that I went to, is more academic opportunities and distinction. We had award ceremonies often, whether it was to announce honor rolls or perfect attendance or even to give a couple special students a medal for some outstanding achievement. Those days were always exciting, but it’s nearly impossible to do that at a school with nearly 2,000 students like Page.

At the home of the Pirates, I have seen a couple different things than at my last two schools. These things are due to both Page being a high school and a large public school. There is a great amount of diversity here. I can’t compare that to homeschooling because the class was my brother and I, but at the charter school that I went to, Summerfield Charter Academy, I didn’t know anyone who spoke a second language fluently, there seemed to be less of an economic gap, and the school was primarily made up of Caucasians. Additionally, it’s easy for some students to hide bigger problems like skipping class, but at SCA a teacher would call you out for the smallest issue, including not having your shirt tucked in.

I have had good experiences at every school that I have gone to, but it is hard to compare them to each other since I went during different times of my life: elementary, middle, and high school. Overall, each school has had their benefits, so I don’t have a preference. However, my mind can definitely change in the next year and a half, assuming we get back into the building and I can experience football games, fundraisers, clubs, and other events.