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Homeschoolers are a pretty diverse group. One of the things that we found interesting when we joined a homeschool association were the many and varied reasons parents had for making the decision to homeschool. I suppose most people have the tendency to make generalizations about others, and we were no exception to that. It now seems amusing that we had made any generalizations whatsoever about why other families were taking responsibility for the education of their own children.

We already knew that there were at least two different reasons for homeschooling, because we couldn't even agree among ourselves. We did, however, agree on one fundamental point: It was the best thing for our child. We don't claim that it is the only way, or that it is necessarily the best way for absolutely everyone.

Beth is a certified special education teacher with a master's degree in early childhood education and the recipient of a National Writing Project Fellowship. She had a successful public school teaching experience in Georgia's statewide Pre-K program, yet she felt unfulfilled and remiss in her responsibility as a Christian wife and mother because so much time and energy was focused away from home. "Since June, 1996, each day brings new blessings of peace and fulfillment as I endeavor to be a good (and patient) mother/teacher." That's a blessing for the entire family.

Dennis is an art teacher and a writer who is working on his doctorate in elementary curriculum and teaching. "Americans pay a high price for their reliance upon the government: we turn our children over to a bureaucracy that is inherently unable to care for children as well as loving parents, regardless of their socio-economic status or level of education."

It's not about being anti-school. And it's not about being anti-government. It's about being anti-government school for our child. It's about a truly humanistic, pro-active approach to education that is not yet present in the public education system. It's about where the responsibility for children ultimately rests: with parents.

Our Homewood page is a way to share the many useful resources upon which we rely daily as parent/educators and as students of how people learn. This is a work in progress.