What a fantastic defense of homeschooling. I think you touched on so many of the benefits that homeschooling, done right, bring to the student. We have homeschooled and all of what you brought forward were important considerations in our decision. Protection from harm as well as the damaging influences of children with different values and morals. A customized curriculum for each student's needs rather than forcing round pegs in square holes. And the love that a parent can give that teachers can't match. Sadly, as home schooled students are gaining recognition in their academic successes as well as their manners and social excellence, the home school movement has become trendy. While not needing a degree to teach at home, the parents do need to be committed to what is a very hard job. It is not easy. It is not simply having your kids stay home. We know many people whose primary motivation is protection from wicked influences, but don't put the enormous time and energy into disciplining their students to learn, and providing valuable instruction. The result seems to be well behaved children who do not participate as readily in worldly behaviors, but who are uneducated from an academic standpoint and haven't learned how to learn. We will always support homeschooling... done right, and hope that the new crop of trendy home school graduates who do NOT excel academically don't cast a shadow on the practice of home schools as the false accusation of poor socialization tried and continues to try to do.