>>

Hummm. I find the choice box a little tricky. Clearly, my "general thought of this method getting a secondary education" is that I feel it is best for MY OWN children. It really isn't for everyone.

I do think, that there is a need met by public education. I do belive that parents who desire to teach their child -and make a genuine effort to do so- ultimately are the best qualified to do the job because they are the most invested in the outcome. Strangers really are only marginally interested in your children's lifetime success. For some children, this is still better than their situation at home. School isn't always warm and fuzzy love of learning- and parents are not always caring and nurturing. Sometimes people just don't care.

I wouldn't DARE suggest everyone homeschool as the answer to the educational crisis in America. I know perfectly fine parents who didn't even bother to teach their child to tie his shoes because he would learn in school. <shrug> I did, afterall, stop my career to do this job- it is a serious undertaking for anyone, and should not be done so lightly.

I should point out, that the majority of homeschool are not homeschooling for academic reasons. That adds an entire perspective that isn't considered in the question.

Most of us here are already "alternative education" types who are doing "homeschooling" to earn our degrees. Just a slight shift when applied to children really.

__________________
Jennifer
ALM, Psychology, Harvard University, in progress
AA & BA, Social Sciences, Thomas Edison State College, 2008
AOS, Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, 1990

IC WORKS! http://www.degreeforum.net/general-e...g-members.html

"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” Randy Pausch