Of all casual questions one teacher could ask another, this one always creates butterflies in my stomach. Then I try to think of something to change the subject. But I never think of anything quick enough. These situations inevitably lead to an hour-long apologetic on why we educate our kids at home. This should not surprise me.
Home schooling is still unusual and a bit radical.
But home education is not so rare anymore. Twenty years ago there were roughly 15,000 home-schooled students in the United States. By 1991 the U.S. Department of Education figured there were 350,000 home schools in the U.S. and 40,000 in Canada. Today estimates stretch over 2 million home schools nationwide. The world of education has had to adjust to this exploding movement.