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Obsessive parents no longer have to worry about sending their kids to an expensive private school where, despite the hefty tuition, they still don't get to handpick every teacher and student their child comes into contact with, personally select the school uniform, or dictate the lunch menu in the cafeteria. They can now homeschool their little ones—and they don't even have to join a religious cult in Montana to do it! Melissa Meyer and Teri Flemal are the founders of QED (or "Quality Education by Design). For $30,000 a year, they'll dispatch teachers to your house so your kids will never be forced to leave the safe cocoon of your $20 million home and risk catching a cold from some kid whose parents weren't considerate enough to bathe their youngster in anti-bacterial body wash. Plus, if you suddenly decide you want to, say, schedule a last minute field trip to the Louvre in Paris, Melissa and Teri will be more than happy to accommodate your request.

QED has lined up a bunch of well-heeled clients, like PlumTV founder Tom Scott and his wife, Emily, the co-founder of J. Crew. Their favorite thing about homeschooling? Now the can structure their kids' education around their own schedules!

I have always had a romantic notion of the old British way of teaching [with a governess who educates children at home]. We feel like if we have a year or two working on our own schedule, it could be a fun adventure to travel with the whole family," Emily says. "My husband's a pilot. We hopped on a single-engine plane from Nantucket to South Africa the week we met! Though we have nothing quite that ambitious planned for the kids…"

After contracting Teri and Melissa's services ("they seemed like a perfect pair to bring the highest standard to this kind of business," Emily recalls) the Scotts turned a guest room in their Greenwich, Conn., home into a "fantastical" kindergarten for their kids Walt, 5  1/2, and Hank, 4. Under Teri and Melissa's guidance, they hired three teachers (to teach traditional subjects as well as art, music and dance) and came up with a program that incorporated field trips and afternoon play sessions to keep the kids' social interaction on par with their peers. "I don't feel anything but positive," says Emily about using QED.

On the off-chance the Scotts want Metallica to perform at Walt or Hank's birthday party, we're guessing QED will be able to help with that, too. Melissa's husband, Peter Mensch, is the band's former manager.

Hot for Teachers [Page Six Magazine]
Quality Education by Design [QEDNY.us]