The editor posed this question to her:

"What is at stake when more and more of America's students
are being homeschooled?"

Izzy was collecting responses from homeschooling parents and
wondered if I would weigh in.

Of course I would.

Two sacred and precious cows of the government-education lobby are at risk of being slaughtered as more and more families make the break into homeschooling. One is the myth that "diversity" is being taught in America's schools. Creating critical thinkers and self-learners is perhaps the greatest goal of an educator, and given the intimate nature of independent schooling, succeeding at this is possible as topics can be studied in greater depth. It's at best improbable with a teaching-to-the-test curriculum. For most of the parents who participate in this, many material sacrifices have to be made, however the payoff in better-educated young-adults and deeper family relationships is ultimately worth it. And this crushes cow number two, as even for those children in the best public or private schools, the inter-family relationship is the "make it or break it" of results; not class size, not rainbow rooms, not credentials, not moremoremore money. Homeschooling families have simply taken seriously that which is all parents' responsibility -- an interest in, and desire for, academic excellence.