Homeschooling is growing at a rate estimated around eleven percent each year. In 1994, only 340,000 children were homeschooled. In 2001, the number had grown to 1.7 million.

Television has on occasion portrayed homeschoolers or homeschooled graduates. Free spirited and fun loving Dharma from the sitcom "Dharma and Greg" was homeschooled. The WB portrayed homeschoolers in a different light. "The O'Keefees," was the WB's short-lived summer 2003 sitcom. The show angered many homeschooling families as it perpetuated stereotypes that homeschoolers have been working to dispel.

Unlike the "O'Keefee" family, real homeschoolers are breaking boundaries and have unlimited resources.

Options for homeschoolers are growing. Homeschoolers can choose their own curriculum from catalogs, not use any curriculum, attend virtual schools or enroll in correspondence schools.

Virtual schools and correspondence schools are becoming increasingly popular, not just among homeschoolers. In 2004, seventeen states have high schools that are offering classes online for both homeschoolers and those who attend traditional schools.

High school for sixteen year-old Travis Green of Lake City, Florida consists of attending Florida Virtual School (FLVS) via his computer. Travis homeschooled from first grade until ninth grade when he and his parents felt he needed a classroom environment to prepare him for college. FLVS is accredited and has students enrolled from all across the nation.

"I find for many students that virtual learning is very effective for them. I think the type of student today is changing and often the traditional classroom may not be the answer for all students with their lives on the go." Bonne Sutherland, a teacher from FLVS says.

Ms. Sutherland also adds," I like teaching this way because I feel I get to know the student more closely with our interaction being one on one."

Online learning may not be for everyone. It takes self-discipline and self-motivation to complete Internet courses. Keystone National High School, an accredited school from Pennsylvania, offers its students the option to take courses online or by mail correspondence. Like FLVS, Keystone is accredited but Keystone offers a high school diploma, which FLVS currently does not.

Keystone Biology and Life Science teacher Lori Auten says, "A student that has been homeschooled (and receives a diploma) shows the world that they are self motivated and don't require someone to push them through a course. Homeschooled individuals also show they can work with a deadline and this looks great on a resume!"

Ms. Auten adds that there is a downside of teaching homeschoolers. "As a teacher, I feel cheated because I don't really know my students. I have no idea what they look like or how their game went last night. I find it difficult to build rapport."

Travis Green is quick to point out the pros and cons of homeschooling.

"In my opinion the pros far outweigh the cons. The biggest advantage to homeschooling is its efficiency. The single biggest con to homeschooling, especially from a teenage viewpoint, is that you might not get to see your friends very often," Travis says.

Does that mean homeschooled or virtually schooled teens aren't getting enough socialization?

"While this certainly wouldn't cause anyone to be socially underdeveloped, I do know firsthand how important teenagers consider their friends. Fortunately, this drawback can be easily avoided with the help of homeschool co-op groups, which are basically associations of like-minded homeschool families," Travis added.

Chad Kennedy, the successful eighteen-year-old president of Teen Scene, is also a homeschooler. Chad started homeschooling in seventh grade and when 1999 rolled around, the idea for Teen Scene popped into his brain. With his flexible homeschooling schedule and without the constraints of traditional school, Chad turned his dream into a reality.

"If I had continued attending public schooling, I wouldn't have been able to start Teen Scene nor would I have had the focus to continue managing it," says Chad. "Not only have I been able to continue with Teen Scene, but I have also launched a parent company called Kennedy Omnimedia which will be the platform for more companies that I will be launching in the coming years."

Chad's hard work and dedication is certainly paying off. "In the time that I would've attended public schooling, I successfully launched my own company and the year that I graduate from high school, I am celebrating the 5th year anniversary of Teen Scene."

Would Chad reccomend homeschooling to other teens? "Yes, for teenagers who are mature for their age and are disciplined. Getting your work done and keeping your priorities straight can be hard so you really have to want to make homeschooling work for you."

Steve Martens of Canada doesn't have positive thoughts toward homeschooling. Mr. Martens says, "Too many, although far from all, homeschooling parents do so (homeschool) for reasons I find unconscionable: keeping their kids from evolution, sex education, or anything that might lead them to think for themselves rather than accept what their parents think."

Mr. Marten says that he's "mildly against homeschooling" and "not a homeschool advocate."

There are two sides to every story. Like Mr. Martens, there are many anti-homeschoolers who continually try to raise the standards on homeschooled students.

Georgia colleges are reported to be the least friendly of colleges in the United States and have more stipulations on homeschooled students than students from traditional schools. Georgia colleges often ask for higher SAT or ACT scores and ask for extra SAT II subject tests.

Despite a few colleges in Georgia, the level of discrimination against homeschoolers has greatly receded in the years. Today's colleges don't look at students who say they homeschool with blank stares and most colleges have a set policy for homeschoolers.

Education continues to take many different avenues; homeschooling is just one of them.

FOUR COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING