I like the concept of home schooling, but I do think it means kids miss out on one of the best parts of traditional schooling -- meeting kids who are "different" than you are, and learning to appreciate them for their differences. These differences might be religious, economic, cultural, social or otherwise...

The tolerance that kids learn when they are thrown in with, and have to learn to work and play with others is, I believe, one of the most fundamental parts of schooling. And without it, we run the risk of raising kids who are totally parochial in their thinking. (And by parochial, I don't mean religious, I mean "having thought patterns which are very limited or narrow in scope or outlook, provincial."

THAT sort of thinking is not a good thing.

On the other hand, public schools can be such scary places that the ability to think is totally absent -- and all one does is learn to "go along in order to get along." Beyond that, they are not always places where learning can safely take place.

My daughter attended public schools all her life, and though she had a couple of incidents of bullying that she had to learn how to handle early on, for the most part, I believe she received an excellent education, she thrived and she excelled.

(As proof, she was accepted at a handful of wonderful colleges across the country and she selected my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she graduated with high honors. Following college graduation, she has always been able to be a well-employed adult.)

My son, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He attended the same schools, but he had some learning disabilities to deal with, and the public schools did not handle them well.

By 3rd grade, I figured out that he did not know how to read, and he had been getting away with this. When he received homework assignments in class, he simply tossed the books and papers in his locker at the end of the day, and did nothing. And not one of his teachers challenged him on it or discussed it with us.

Oh, we had parent teacher conferences, but they were never about the fact that he couldn't read. They were about the fact that he could not sit still in class, or the fact that he hit a kid -- who'd hit him first -- on the playground. And the school had a zero tolerance policy for violence...

We also had a memorable one over his trying to sit on the bleachers in the gym after school, to wait for his best friend, whose house he was supposed to go to after school. The friend had joined some team, and the team met after class. But the gym teacher did not want anyone NOT on the team -- Zach was too young -- to be in the gym.

In the end, we sent Zach to a small private college prep school, and it was the best thing we ever did for him, education-wise. (This was not a boarding school, he did not live away from home.)

The classes were small, the teachers cared, and the students worked hard. As a result, Zach learned to work hard as well. When he graduated, he received an award for "most improved student" in his class. And he was accepted into a good "Big 10" college, where he excelled and graduated.

Of course, not all parents can choose this solution, as the tuition was significant. But many private college prep schools have scholarships available.

I think this is a solution that offers the best of both worlds, and I highly recommend it.

For anyone not familiar with this type of school, the one we selected is called Rivermont Collegiate -- it's a private, nonsectarian, independent, multicultural school for students - preschool through twelfth grade - offering a nurturing, caring and safe environment where students develop intellect, character, and creativity.

I would highly recommend all parents look into whether there might be a private college prep school in your area.