Here’s a confession: I’m not really happy with homeschooling. I wish we had other options. Nevertheless, I am often truly glad that we do it.

My daughter works in the guidance office of her high school. She runs errands, takes calls, files paperwork, and does all she can to help guidance counselors as they advise and assist college-bound students. But demand is low this year: With recruiters sitting in the hallway, playing rock music at a cafeteria table at lunch, and striking up chummy conversations with kids every chance they get, and with every senior’s first period devoted not to academics but to watching Channel One’s recruiting TV, military prep is winning young hearts and minds away from college prep.

On parent-teacher night, I entered the guidance office and noticed large recruiting posters on the wall. There were no college-recruiting posters or ads of any sort. Inside the guidance counselors’ offices, students can’t help but see more military posters and stacks of glossy recruiting brochures, booklets, and magazines. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were at the Army Recruiting Office near the mall, not a public school guidance office that’s supposedly dedicated to helping students make the most of their educational experience and continue on to college or trade school.