I recently read the august issue of Parenting and was very angry that we are still having this homeschool debate. It is about as tired as which is better-a stay at home or a working mother. First I will start by addressing the 62% of you who voted against homeschooling. I will address each point one by one. School is more than academics...it teaches kids how to function in society and gives them experiences that help them survive in the real world. 1. It is not the schools job to teach my child how to function in society. That is the job of a committed and involved parent. 2. I wasn't aware that I was living in a fake world. Kids must be exposed to other children so they can develop the social skills they need and get a break from the house. 1. I agree, but who says that can only occur in a school setting. Many parents don't have the knowledge or expertise to properly educate their children. 1. How preseumptuous! Virtually all the parents in my homeschool network are college educated. 2. Expertise is readily available for those who need it via home school networks, tutors, and other para-professionals. That said, here is why my husband and I decided to homeschool. We live in a city where 99% of the public schools are in academic failure. So much so, that our supreme court upheld a ruling that the state must provide vouchers so that parents who have children in these schools can send them to a private school who accepts them. We applied for and received a voucher. After visiting several private schools we finally found one that fit our daughters needs as well as my schedule of a work at-home mother of said daughter and two-year old twins. We were excited that we had finally found the perfect fit. One month later we were informed that the campus she was to attend was closing. Terrible news because the only option left was to bus her to the main campus nearly 20 miles from our home! Putting a five-year old on a bus and sending her 20 miles away was not an option! Getting up and 5:30 AM and dragging 3 kids out the door for a 45 minute drive was not an option either. Fortunately this private school had a home schooling component. It provides materials, books, oversight, testing and monitoring, as well as opportunities for social networking via field trips and monthly classroom activities with other children her age. Will I put my kids in school? Yes, someday when the time is right and all my children are old enough to attend school I hope to enroll them in another private school. But for now, this is the best option for all of us. It is time for people to understand that all good parents want the best for their children. If homeschooling is the best option, why should that be a problem for anyone. My child is not socially deprived. She attends church, sees her cousins frequently, and attends ballet and art classes. She is being taught by two professional people. My husband has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and I hold a B.A. in Communications. Further, as previously stated we are part of a growing network of professional people who understand and greatly appreciate this new era of options. Education is about people, not systems. It's about doing what is best for the individual. Once upon a time there was no such thing as a public school. Parents who could afford to educate their children either sent them away to a boarding school or they hired private tutors to educate. The latter sounds like homeschooling to me. Lena Arnold Proud Homeschooling Mama