Michael H. Romanowski

About the author: Michael H. Romanowski is an associate professor in the Department of Education at Ohio Northern University.

Home schooling has become a legitimate educational method in the United States, appealing to a diverse demographic. However, an antagonistic and, therefore, damaging relationship exists between home-schooling parents who feel threatened by state involvement and educators who misunderstand the reasons for home schooling. Each side must develop more positive views of the other and enter into dialogues that can lead to a more enriched learning environment for all children.

Once considered an anomaly in American education, home schooling has become an increasingly popular alternative to both public and private schools in today's culture, an estimated 1,200,000 to 1,700,000 U.S. K-2 students currently being home-schooled. This spectacular growth not only...