Our 6 year old left kindergarten beginning to read and doing simple addition, things my older children weren't even exposed to at that age. Our youngest is starting the preschool program at the same private school in the fall. Our current constitutional prohibition against both direct and indirect forms of financial assistance is an extremely exhaustive ban, and we are working hard to amend the State Constitution to allow for indirect assistance such as vouchers. This experience of home schooling our daughter has been wonderful. The family is much closer and our daughter has received a much more diverse and deeper learning experience than what she would have had in public schools.
Parents are their children's first teachers.
We teach them to walk, to speak, to use the toilet, and tie their shoes. We try to teach them to play nicely, pick up their toys, and treat others fairly. Unfortunately not all parents are equipped to be the teachers their children need for whatever reason. Schools then try to pick up the slack and teach things outside the parameters for which they were established.