Extremely negative. My background: I attended public schools K-12. I worked almost 10 years in public schools, about 7 years in private schools (I have worked part time with one foot in each system). Public schools have only gotten worse. I have no hope for public schools. The entire system needs to be obliterated. I am not kidding.

Here are my issues as a former employee:
1. The states in which I worked, I was forced to be a part of the teacher's union. When I first started, I was a huge supporter of the union. Within just a couple of years, I saw the thieving that took place in my particular system, the physical bullying when I attempted to stay beyond my contacted hours to assist students, and the generally us vs. them (union vs. administrators and kids) attitude that was encouraged by union leaders. Save for 1 district that I worked in, the union couldn't have been more unprofessional. And I worked in schools in every imaginable district, rich, poor, homogeneous, etc.

2. Very poor quality teacher training. I went to a "prestigious" college with a teacher certification program. It was touted as being on of the best. The quality was so poor, it was really unbelievable. Since, in my opinion, there are so few good teachers out there (I would give it a ballpark figure of maybe 10%), you can't find any decent mentors for student teachers. The bulk of what was taught was classroom management. This was about 20 years ago and from what I hear it's taken a drastic turn for the worse...because now they focus on classroom management with the goal of getting students to master the standardized tests.

3. Fifty+ years ago, teaching was considered a worthy, honorable profession. (This will be controversial - I know.) When women were not allowed or encouraged to be professionals such as doctors, lawyers, etc., there were many more really bright and capable elementary school female teachers. Talented women were encouraged to be teachers, paralegals and nurses. As these women were able to enter and succeed in more male oriented, lucrative positions, I think there has been a brain drain. And men are just not attracted to elementary school positions - it's never going to happen. (I think if teachers were paid a lot more, then the talented women would come back. But I don't expect it to happen any time soon.)

4. Anti-intellectual attitude found in public schools. Every school that I have worked in (except for 1) has had active disdain for gifted children. Sure you may have a teacher here or there who understands and who is interested in educating gifted children. But since (in my opinion) there are extremely few gifted adults working in public schools, there is no understanding of gifted children's traits or needs. I have heard so many horrible things said about gifted children.

5. Drive to create and implement federal standards. So, IMO, there has been a brain drain among public school teachers. Now when you couple that with a drive to introduce federal standards - the effect being that you are required even LESS to think and be creative about teaching goals - because they've all been laid out for you - you don't even have to look at your children in your class to figure out what they really need.

6. The testing insanity will finally cause the system to implode, hopefully.

Now, from my parental viewpoint - this is how I have come to view and utilize public school for my son. (I need to give credit to my DH, who has always told me that public education is "useless" for any child who is even moderately above average...and I spent so many years wondering why he always said that.) As a parent, we use public school to socialize and for "anthropological" experiences. My son goes in the mornings to see his friends, to have fun riding the bus, to experience group music class, use the art materials, have access to a full size gym and to have lunch around a very big table with lots of friends and laughing. My son also learns about how an institution works at stifling any creativity and how it churns out a product using streamlined methods. He has also learned that at 7 years old, he is far more creative and intelligent than many of his teachers.

We've only got another 1.5 years total in public school. Doubtful we will make it that long.