A congresswoman from Colorado is singing the praises of the homeschooling movement -- and recounting her past experience with home schooling and its positive influence on her family.
While her husband was a school teacher and she was a member of the local school board, Marilyn Musgrave had a concern about the lack of academic rigor at the public middle school her son John would be attending. So, wanting to choose something different for their son, the Musgraves decided to home school him during his junior high years.
Marilyn, now a conservative U.S. representative from the Rocky Mountain State, says she has never regretted her family's decision.
"He did very well on his achievement tests. I realized what a big commitment it was because I was the primary teacher for John, and it entailed a lot of work. I felt it was worth it. John will be 23 years old this month, and he's now serving in the U.S. Navy -- but John has a very good education and I was happy that we could contribute to that during those middle school years for our child."
The Republican lawmaker says she has deep admiration for parents of the more than two million home-schooled children in the United States.
"I respect parents that make the effort to home school. It's not for everyone; it's a lot of hard work and it takes dedication and commitment. But I applaud the parents who do it. Children are unique -- they have different learning styles, and I think it's a wonderful choice for many children."