Ask any public school teacher and they will tell you that the number one determinant of success for a student comes down to parental involvement. They might also tell you that school administrations ignore and sometimes actively fight against parents getting involved. Homeschooling just takes parental involvement to the extreme. Public school has a lot more to do with keeping kids off the street and giving parents the hours to work -- day care -- than with education. Some kids get lucky and get a lot out of school, but a lot more don't.