Late to the conversation...just a few points

Well said. I think this finally cuts to the heart of the issue. The understanding a parent has of what his/her child is interested in or curious about, and their preferred learning style (hands on? books? videos? discussion? web-based? a combination of all?) simply cannot be replicated in the public school environment. So bradsmith, I think your theory about supplementing public school with parental involvement, while it would certainly increase effectiveness, could not possibly equal the full homeschooling experience. The systems are so different as to almost defy comparison.

I also take issue with the notion that homeschooling is the "easy way out" in comparison to parental involvement in public school education. Explain to me how you think it would be easier to devote your full time and energy to facilitating and guiding your child(ren)‘s learning process by presenting a widely diverse curriculum in a relevant and captivating manner all day, every day. In Mikulecky’s case, multiply that by six (for six different learning styles) and by six again (for six different "grade" levels). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I really don’t think "helping with homework after school" really reaches the same degree of difficulty.

Also, I agree with Brandon in that I think the assumption that reintroducing homeschooled students into the public schools would necessarily improve the lives or education of the other students is faulty. Which is more likely: that the tiny minority (students who would otherwise be homeschooled) will pull majority up to their level? Or that the majority would pull the minority down to their level? I think the latter, or perhaps neither would happen and the status quo would be maintained. Either way, I don’t think there are any tangible positive or negative effects of the presence or absence of homeschooled students in the public school system. The system is what it is, with or without the homeschoolers.

Furthermore, I also don’t see it as a "civic duty" to participate in the public school system. Public schools are a service offered by the government for those who wish to take advantage of it. They are effective in what they are designed for – mass education to a certain predetermined standard – but are limited by that very nature of sheer size and the need for standardized testing. The fact that a certain popluation chooses not to participate does not weaken the system in any way.

I think this sums it up nicely. Education is not only about books and tests and homework, it’s about discovering the world, learning the "how and why" because you really want to know "how and why," not because you have to regurgitate it on a test. And because you internalized it from the beginning, you can recall it later, and better than your "lecture and test" counterparts. That, I believe, is why homeschoolers’ test scores are consistently better than the public school average, not because of better genetics or social status.

But in the end, it comes down to a personal choice. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, and for some families it may not be viable option for various reasons. But whether public school, private school, homeschool, tutoring, correspondence courses, or whatever – parents have to maximize the effectiveness of the options that are available to them at the time.