Homeschooling Gains Ground in Virginia

Fifty percent growth in a decade

RICHMOND – Amy Wilson says she didn't choose home schooling; her son did.

"My son chose home schooling when he was about 3. I didn't realize that's what was happening at the time. We tried having him go to preschool, and it was not a good fit for him," said Wilson, the government affairs director for the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers.

"Once I started questioning preschool, I suddenly found myself in this land of home-schoolers."

Across the United States, a growing number of parents like Wilson have chosen home schooling as an alternative to public schools. In Virginia, the number of home-schoolers has increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, according to the Virginia Department of Education.