DaVinci Academy is a charter school in Ogden. As the grandchild of a public school superintendent, I never would have considered sending my children to a charter school. My grandfather had issues with those kinds of schools because he didn’t want children segregated, regardless of the reason. He argued that all students should attend their local school and, having sat at his table for years, I agreed.

That is, until I watched my daughter in her local school kindergarten. That year, her school district fired all the librarians and the recess support staff. To be clear, I had a lot of respect for her teacher and her principal, and supported the choices they were making. I served on the PTA and community council, and even as a fully engaged parent in her child’s education, I had no power to head off what was happening. With Grandpa Murray’s words still echoing in my ears, I had trouble supporting keeping her in that school, so I moved her to a charter school. (Luckily for me, my grandpa had passed away, and I never had to tell him.) When I sat in the audience of her graduation, I asked myself if I did my best for her with that choice 12 years ago. If I ever do get to see my grandpa again, I imagine our first conversation may be an accounting of that choice.

At my daughter’s charter school, she was able to do everything. She was editor of the literature magazine, captain of the cross country team, a lead actor in many musical theatre productions, played percussion in the orchestra and band, and completed murals for her art class. Academically, she took every Advanced Placement course possible, taking five AP course exams during her senior year. She graduated summa cum laude, wearing cords around her neck for almost every honor you could snag at that school. She earned a Renaissance award because she did AP courses in all the core subjects, took performing arts and visual arts classes, was an athlete, and took leadership roles in extracurricular activities. She gave a speech because she was selected as one of two DaVincians, an honor given to students who embody the DaVinci spirit. During that speech, she talked about how her principals made it possible for her to manage her diabetes without ever feeling like she was not included in the school, making everyone laugh when she said, “Mrs. Kortman poked me in the butt to give me insulin.”

Also, at her little charter school, other kids were able to do what they wanted. Some of those kids were terrified while walking across that stage, and others danced across. Some were athletes, some were artsy. One is going to Yale on a full ride. I watched the principal smile at every student, with whom he clearly had relationships, shake their hands, and send them on their way. Every student hugged every teacher as they walked off the stage. There was a choir performance, band performance, and orchestra performance. And we were wrapped up within 90 minutes because only about 60 kids were graduating. When it was all over, my father told me that Grandpa Murray would have liked that ceremony, and I think he would have — even if it is a charter school.

My grandpa used to say, “When raising children, do the best you can and hope for the best.” With the choice to move my child out of her local public school, I was doing the best I could and hoping I was right. My child is headed out of state to the college that my great-grandmother attended over a century ago. The little charter school set her up for success, as it did all of her peers. She took advantage of all the opportunities, she worked hard, she got into every college she applied to, and off she goes. We did the best we could, and now we hope for the best.

Leah Murray is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the director of the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University. This commentary is provided through a partnership with Weber State. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent the institutional values or positions of the university.