A few things, Ms. Kolodziej: First, you should realize that private and parochial school students do NOT have to take the PSSA test, which is the test that all students in certain grades must take if they attend any public school in the Commonwealth. Scores from these tests are then used to evaluate a school’s overall performance. With that said, I find it very difficult to adequately compare private vs. public educational performance seeing as how the criterion for evaluation is obviously not the same.

Second, public schools must try to educate ALL who walk through the doors. Private and parochial schools can be more selective with their clientele.

Third, what qualifications do you possess that will enable you to “… be able to control who is hired and fired if they do not perform well”? I am a consumer, but I don’t pretend to know how to run a successful business just because I shop often and spend money, and I certainly do not have the audacity to believe that I should be able to “control” that business’ hiring/firing practices. Being a taxpayer does not qualify you to make decisions of this nature, either.