In 1999, when my youngest child was in the 7th grade here in our small rural township school, I was mortified to discover he had no idea how to multiply or any form of higher math.

When I asked his school how this was possible, as he had made honor row all year long, it was then I learned even more disturbing news. He was only reading in a 4th grade level as well!

Any reasonable parent I demanded an answer to that! What I was told made me ill!

It seems since my son was in special education and had ADHD he was not expected to master anything so he was never encouraged to even try!

I don't know who I was more mad at, the school or my ignorance.

I had been fooled into believing my son was an honor student and on target with his studies. If I had been informed differently there was nothing I would not have done to help him. But since I hadn't been kept appraised of the situation I did the only thing that seemed logical, and for my son, it turned out to be the perfect solution.

I took him out of public education and home schooled him.

After 30 minutes of one on one instruction in multiplication, he just took off. 5 yrs later when he graduated from "Our Family High School" he had taught ME trig and had a better vocabulary then most College graduates.

His former teachers where astonished when I told them they wanted to know what I did to help him? They still refuse to believe that I didn't give him hours of 1 on 1 attention, as they insisted they were unable to do because of class size, time and budget etc... I heard all the excuses.

The truth is, besides the 30 minutes of time I took to explain the times tables to him all I did was present the material to him and HE taught himself! What does that say about where our schools are today?