Riding a bike is a fairly public act. In a car you can hide from the world, but on a bike your every action is visible. Sleeping children, as noted before, bring the most attention, waving children make people smile. That said, I was completely unprepared for yesterday’s conversation.

It started innocently enough, I Was loading the children onto the bike, after picking A up from school, and noticed that a family was using the nearby parking meter. The grandma of the group was watching us intently so I said hello. She said something back to me but the only word I heard was school. I must have looked confused, because she responded in a firm slightly annoyed voice, “What is your plan?”

Still confused, I replied, “Today? We are heading home from school?”

Shaking her head, “No, what is your plan for when they are older? Where will you send them to school?”

Ah, I suddenly realize both what she is asking and why she is asking, “Probably Federal Hill, but I have plenty of good options.”

“Where’s that? Is it private?”

“Right over there. No it is public. There are some really good options in the city. We are nervous about middle school, but even those are improving. We have some great options for High School.”

“Like Poly?”, her tone is clipped now, polite but skeptical.

“There are more options than that,” I go on to list them. “Plus, I have been a city teacher for over 11 years. I believe in City Schools”.

“Oh, so you won’t send them someplace like Gilman or Friends?” She mentions some private schools shaking her head in disbelief.

“Nope, have a beautiful day.” I give her a little wave and we bike off.