Josh —

While it’s true that many brilliant minds have come out of traditional public education, one can’t automatically assume that it’s a cause and effect relationship. In fact, some important education theorists, such as Peter Gray and Yong Zhao, say that they may indeed have thrived despite the system, not because of it. I urge you to read 1.) The End of Average by Todd Rose, and 2.) Free to Learn by Peter Gray. Also check out the Alternative Education Resource Organization. You may wish to order videos of two of the keynote speakers (Peter Gray and Yong Zhao) at the recent AERO conference in Portland. I suspect this will open your eyes even more fully to the problems with public education and help you understand more about how you can fuel the passion of your children.