Mark, about 80% of the student loan balance belongs to me, as I started at private university after high school, dropped out, went to a public university (but took loans out to repay my mother’s PLUS loans), then got my MBA.

There were many mistakes made, and I am burdened with the cost of them now.

I also understand your point about my salary being quite low given the amount of loans I have combined with my degrees. I share the same concern, and work hard every day to rectify it.

That being said, it didn’t help graduating in 2009 in the middle of the Great Recession.

Everyone thinks that an engineering degree is a golden ticket, but I had to work 3 part-time jobs for 7 months before a full-time job was available for a new graduate. I’ve gotten promotions and raises, but it will take another 10 years to match someone who entered the workforce 3-5 years prior in the boom times.

As for the price of private school, it’s really not a choice. Yes, people did well in the past with public schools, and there may be some individuals you know that are doing great. But as a country, the public education system is killing us from the inside.

• U.S. students’ academic achievement still lags that of their peers in many other countries
• The US was once a leader for healthcare and education — now it ranks 27th in the world

Is a system this is already on its way down really going to prepare my children for the workforce in 10–20 years, when automation will replace millions of jobs? Probably not.