Teaching children at home, rather than sending them to a public or private school

Home schooling is perhaps the fastest growing trend in education in this country. According to the Department of Education, about 500,000 students, or about 1% of the total school age population, were taught at home in 1996. Home schooling organizations put the estimate much higher, at close to 1.2 million. The Department of Education's figures jumped 30% over five years, and some researchers say the number of home-schooled children is growing at about 25% annually. Home schooling is now legal in every state, though requirements vary. Some states require parents who teach their children at home to have teacher's certificates or college degrees; some require extensive monitoring by public school officials. Some states have specific curriculum and testing requirements, while others only ask that parents notify the school district that they plan to teach their children at home...