Who says that homeschooling is the ultimate learning environment?
Exactly. It's not always the right fit.
AND it's not always done properly. A friend of mine who teaches in public high school says that many of the home school kids they get who transition back to public school are at a lower level than their public school grade peers.
I'm not sure I'd accept whol*sale a public school teacher's comments on homeschooling, anymore than I accept whol*sale a homeschool parent's opinion of public schools. Both sides have some pretty pervasive prejudices-- and having one foot in both communities, I hear them constantly.
From what I've seen of homeschoolers-- and you can't swing a cat in this area without hitting one, honestly-- they're pretty much like any other kids with involved parents. Some are way ahead, some are a bit ahead, a lot are average, and there are some who are behind. IME though, the ones who are behind often are kids who, because of exceptionalities or developmental lags, would be behind in public school-- and they're being homeschooled to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.
