To answer your question, Grace, about did discussion ensue at the writer's seminar - no, it didn't really. Everyone was quite stunned. These are all local people and these are local schools. So - these people are the direct tax payers for the schools.<P>A couple of them had said that they "knew" that there were problems in the public schools. My retort/comment back was that I don't think the general public has any idea of what is really happening in the public schools; of how far things have gotten on many levels. The behavior of the children, the strains on the teachers and the adminstrative decisions to hire teachers without any experience or knowledge in the field. <P>I thought I "understood" what was happening in the public schools - until I joined one.