Private Versus Public Schools

In response to “A Private Dilemma for Parents,” Jan. 26:

Some children may need the sheltered environment of a private school; most do not. Parents who make this choice underestimate their own importance in their kids’ lives--and they underestimate their neighborhood schools.

My daughter attended public schools, although private schools were an option for us. In the Los Angeles Unified School District, she went to the Westside Alternative magnet, then to Venice High School.

She is now a freshman at Harvard. Not only did she receive an excellent education, but she has--and will always have--the great advantage of being comfortable in the real world.

KAREN PHILLIPS MATHEWS

Los Angeles