Now, you made mention that "most homeschoolers drop out before they get to 
college". I have done a lot of reading and research myself. Personally, I 
find statistics to be a lot of hogwash - you can find "statistics" to prove 
almost anything you want them to prove. You just change your groups around 
and you can fix them any which way. I learned that in college tests and 
measurements class. The best research is to find all the dropouts you can 
find, and poll them about their education. Most of them dropped out of 
school, not out of homeschool. Homeschool dropouts usually drop "back" into 
the school situations, for several reasons: parent burnout (it's a tough 
job), wanting to experience what school has to offer (ask Sandy Colby about 
that one), wanting to earn a high school diploma from an accredited school. 
There may be others, but those are three most normal situations.
You also made a couple of comments that bring to mind this rhetorical 
question: "why would a parent homeschool if s/he doesn't want the best for 
his child?" Let's face it, homeschooling is hard work. First there is the 
distraction factor: the house still needs care, errands need to be run, the 
parent may want to just "get out of the house!" So the first energy involved 
is being able to put aside other needs and see to the academics of the 
children. Then there is the lesson planning, usually for more than one child 
and more than one grade level. Then there is the actual implementation of 
that same planning, which often involves physical work. From what I've 
observed, the majority of homeschoolers manage these things with aplomb and 
also run businesses on top of that!
You keep making statements that institutionalized schooling is the best thing 
for *every* child. Since every child is a living, breathing, individual 
person, what makes one thing right for everyone? We choose different cars, 
different type homes, different neighborhoods to live in, different 
activities to be involved in - what on earth makes "school" the one and only 
thing that is perfect for every child? Nothing. Children are individuals, 
too. US laws (and I believe Canada has something similar) give us the right 
to an education. It doesn't say how that education must be accomplished. For 
some kids, public education is the best thing they'll get, or maybe the best 
thing that they can afford. Other kids are in parochial schools - Christian, 
Catholic (also Christian, but their system is slightly different for 
schooling), or Jewish. Still others are in private schools, either those run 
by companies or run as individual schools. And then there are homeschoolers. 
I would be the last person to say that "every child deserves a home 
education"...because not every parent is willing or able to give one. So why 
would I make the irrational statement that public schools are the perfect 
thing for every child?
US public schools have become a dumping ground for anything and everything. 
Not only is every child entitled by law to be there, but every time the US 
sees a "problem" coming up, they dump it on the schools to teach it. It's 
also become a place to teach too many things that used to be the parents' 
responsibility to teach. I personally got *disgusted* when I substituted in 
another district's 1st grade class and was expected to hand out toothbrushes, 
toothpaste, and mouthwash on a daily basis and have the kids brush their 
teeth in class! Not just have them do it - but this was a daily lesson in 
this school! I also don't think that school is the place for sex education, 
"just say no" programs (education about drugs is one thing, spending 15 
minutes in class a week for 15 weeks learning to say "no" should be a 
parents' job
to teach in about 20 minutes), or the myriads of "honors assemblies" that 
take place for 30 minutes once a month to reward children. (They won't get 
those when they get out to the "real world". You're lucky in the business 
place to get a "thanks", much less a "job well done!" from a superior or 
colleague.)
I think you ought to do some positive reading on homeschooling and what it's 
all about before you turn in a negative report as your doctoral thesis. The 
640 section of the public library system (those still on Dewey Decimal 
system) is full of these books. Of course, you may not want to read anything 
that positive on the subject - since you seem to be so full of negativism 
about the subject.
                                 -donna
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