I'll disagree, if "we" includes some parents I know. They may doing the best they can, but only within a set of presuppositions; the basic one being, gov't schools is the only option.
Until one gets out of that box, and think it out, I say "we" have not done the best we can.
We are homeschoolers. My boys have friends who are homeschooled and those who are not. While all are welcome in my home, guess who are the preferred.
Any idea why?
Although I graduated from a public high school, all but 2 years of my schooling were in "private" schools. I can uneqivocally say there was very little difference in what I had to deal with at Christian school as opposed to public. I love my parents, but they assumed (incorrectly) that they were protecting me by putting me in a Christian school. I knew where to get drugs in either institution had I wanted them, as well as any number of things. My point is: no school is the answer. Parent involvement is the answer, whether that takes the form of homeschooling or not. There are plenty of homeschooled kids I know that I would NOT want in my house. Their parents let them do whatever they want at home and so assume they can do the same in my house. They are little hellions. And there are plent of PS kids that I have worked with at AWANA's and Children's Choir at my church who behave entirely better. I'd take them anyday. All goes back to the beginning - the parents. I'm pinging a fellow HSer to this because she may have stuff to add!