[Texan5]

Some cottage schools have started up in the city, too, but it appears to be primarily a suburban/rural thing. All of the several cottage schools in this area are owned and operated by certified teachers. Since they are really a cross between homeschooling and a very small private school, that may be a requirement. Some of them were started by the teachers when they decided they wanted to homeschool their kids rather than send them to/teach public school. However, they still needed an income, so they hit on the idea of homeschooling their own and someone else's kids for money. Two of these schools are operated by teachers who got disgusted with the system and retired, but still needed an income and loved to teach. Classes are limited to maybe 12 kids at the most, including the teacher's children. My neighbor says it is great-there are field trips, where the teacher piles all the kids into her Suburban and takes them to one of the many natural areas nearby, to a bank or other business, stock auction, etc to observe how business is conducted. Then it is discussed on the way back, and they write short essay on what they have learned on that particular trip. The local businesses are very cooperative and enjoy having the kids there. Since there is no PC crap, they say grace before lunch, and are taught according to Christian values. There is no "sex education", either. That is strictly left up to parents.

[xsmommy]

i think it sounds great! a big problem, in my mind, with homeschooling, is ensuring that illiterates are not teaching their children. i am NOT saying that you need fed involvement, by any stretch, but it is a concern when you imagine some toothless type that never finished school themselves, is home teaching the kids. now i might be better educated than any of my kids teachers, but that doesn't mean i am the one to teach them either! you need to have patience and knowledge both, IMO>