It's the best option. I don't think the public option bill is dead yet, especially because Senator Reid has stated he is considering this approach.

I think its great that you are giving your kids the gift of creative learning, and I admit that I am jealous. You see, I would love to be able to homeschool my kids,but I simply don't have the resources available to do it the way I know it should be done. And yes, I value creative enrichment as much as you do: unstructured time, hikes in the woods to study animal skeletons, group trips to museums and beaches and reading from chapter books or maybe even internships sound about as nurturing and stimulating as one could hope for a growing brain. However, I cannot provide this environment for my children. As you rightly point out in your article, parents can't homeschool successfully unless they possess a few luxuries: adequate income, adequate education and a supportive network of like minded moms. In particular I think that the last of these is critical to success as a homeschooling parent. You say that "homeschooling is not the new black", but when other high status, high powered mommies don't view you as their equal you quickly realize that there really is something exclusive about the particular brand of homeschooling to which you and your wife subscribe. So your children will grow up to be wildly successful free-thinking creative geniuses and mine, well, probably won't, since I send them to "worksheet-happy-stand-in- line-all-the-time public school." I am glad the dream of American individualism and competition has worked in your favor. So I suppose then, I find this article a bit like the neighbor who buys a new porsche when you can barely keep your honda civic running - bully for him, but please don't rub it in my face.

The central ohio school district where my children attend reversed their district wide ban on the obama speech after day long toil on the part of parents who want their children to see the speech in school. I am flabbergasted that the right wing fanatical fringe has so much influence here. Hooray, though! At least we succeeded in holding the line on sanity here. I can only say bon courage to those parents fighting the same battle under similar circumstances.

Here is the letter I just finished writing to our local paper:

Dear Editors:

On September 3, 2009 I received an email from the Hilliard city school district informing me that President Obama's nationwide address to schoolchildren, to be aired at noon on Tuesday, September 8, would not be shown in any Hilliard city school classrooms. Apparently, because of complaints registered by some parents in the district, an administrative decision was made to implement a districtwide ban, although the original proposal was to leave the decision to the discretion of individual teachers. The email went on to explain the rationale behind the ban by stating that the Hilliard city school district wanted to take a neutral position in the controversy. According to the press release posted on the government website, www.whitehouse.gov, the President will address the controversial topic of the importance of education for future success in adulthood. Frankly, I am grateful that Hilliard city school officials have seen fit to remain neutral on the topic of the importance of education. It is indeed a credit to the school district that they would refuse to allow only those that believe that education is important to inflluence their decision in this matter. I am glad that the Hilliard city have made it clear that those who advocate public ignorance should be given equal weight in this controversy. Furthermore, I am grateful that the school district has not considered other options, such as airing the address and encouraging lively debate among students afterwards, or allowing students who do not want to watch the address to opt out of viewing it. I shudder to think that some Hilliard city teachers might use the address as an opportunity to teach students about civics and government. No, the Hilliard city school district is wise to stand firm in its committment not to challenge those who hate education and want their children to fail. Shame on Obama for trying to push his extremist agenda on schoolchildren!