Alberta Home Education Association

I'm probably one of the least likely ones to be writing about this topic, but when my husband said someone was asking if I'd be interested in doing so, I thought that maybe it might be something God would have me do.

Ironically, just when I started writing, the program I was using decided I'd done enough, and shut down on me. Maybe I'm not supposed to be doing it, but at the same time, I didn't want to give up that easily.

I'd first like to give some background as to why I lack confidence as to whether I'm able to give my children what they need. I was home educated myself, but never felt that what I received was very thorough. And, yes, partly that was my own fault, in that I was pretty "scatter-brained", and had a hard time focusing on my lessons…. I'd far rather be outside building a treehouse, or something like that. Nonetheless, beyond getting the basics of reading, writing (could I even do that?), and arithmetic, I always said my science consisted of my dad pointing out the north star and the big dipper; and my "social studies" was lived out in that we traveled all over the place. I knew very little history, and, well, just always felt I was lacking in many ways.

Fast forward 30+ years, I'm now the mother of 11 children, half of whom are adults, and all of whom we've homeschooled from the start. I've believed from the first child on, that God gave me these children, knowing my weaknesses and shortcomings, yet He still chose to give them to me, along with the responsibility to raise and educate them.

Over my fifteen years as a home educating father I've come to see how home education is a great method for achieving key education goals. This list of goals comes from Colorado Home Education leader, Kevin Swanson in his book Upgrade: The 10 Secrets to the Best Education of Your Child. I will briefly list them and share quick personal examples of how home education has helped my family work towards achieving these goals. You will see how my wife and I, having been educated in public and private school respectively, strongly believe home education method is superior to the school model in achieving these goals.

Welcome to AHEA, the Alberta Home Education Association. We are here to help those of you who are new to teaching your children at home on account of the restrictions our province has made related to the COVID-19 virus. We've been around since 1986 promoting home education, defending freedoms to do so, and providing various resources, such as an annual convention, a website, a Facebook page and a magazine called Home Matters.

I realize many of you are newly experiencing a full time endeavor of teaching your children at home. Most of you in this situation are in the unenvious position of bringing school home. Hopefully you will see from this article, as well as various helpful links on our site, that there is another excellent option, if not for the remainder of this school year, than for the upcoming fall: home education.

Back in the fall of 2009 I shared an article with AHEA members. I've included the start of it below. It should give you an initial feel for what we mean by the distinction between home education and bringing school home.

"Summer has come and gone, and now it's time for most of use to get into the groove of more formal education. Mind you if your family is like ours, learning did not stop during the summer, whether it was history and geology discovered on a family vacation, some math or music studies that continued part way into the summer months, or skills learned gardening and running lemonade stands. I recall from a couple of years ago at this time where our local public school had its large sign announcing: 'Welcome back to learning.' My eldest daughter, 8 at the time, remarked on that being a silly message. She figures that learning takes place whether or not formal school is in session. I concur."

Fast forward eleven years, and that daughter and my second have graduated and we are still home educating our five other kids ages 7 to 17. What is it about home education, teaching our kids at home, that draws my family and a growing number of other families to persist in this practice year after year? And why is it that a number of families who try to bring school home, rather than try out home educating, tend to send their kids back to school? In short, home education, although really tough at times, is a joy, while trying to replicate school at home is too tall an order for most folks to do over the long haul. Rather than further tackle these questions in this article, I will point you to several pages on our site that will get you to strongly question that the school model is the only or preferred method of providing learning to our children when they are at home.

Here is the key landing page to start with About Home Education.

From there I'd head to the New to Home Education section.

If you wish to dig deeper into what I mean by home education, head here: Defining Home Education.

To find out more how home education differs from simply bringing school home, read the information on the Home Education in Alberta Compared to Home-Based School Programs page.

Does home education get tougher in the high school years? Sure, but those of us who do it really think it's worth it. Check out our High School page. And if your children are approaching graduation, check out our Post Secondary and Apprentice and Mentoring pages.

If the above information convinces you to move from bringing school home to home education you will need to notify of your intent to home educate. For more freedom and a best fit for your family we suggest doing it with a private school. Check out this page for more details.

In closing, yes, learning doesn't just happen from September to June in a public school building. It can also happen at home and be a joyful family endeavor. Please join me and thousands of other Alberta families by embarking on home education. As well, feel free to reach out to us with particular questions.

Ted Tederoff

AHEA President

Background

The Minister of Education has invited parent and guardian input on the draft ministerial order on student learning to help shape the direction of education by February 24th, 2020 which will be in place for the 2020/2021 school year. It will replace the current ministerial order from 2013. This draft was the result of the Curriculum Advisory Panel (CAP) that AHEA met with last year. (Members can read about our meeting in our last HOME Matters edition – available online.) This committee has provided recommendations to Minister LaGrange on the direction of Alberta's K-12 curriculum and priorities. The previous curriculum work has been paused to ensure that it meets with the updated ministerial order.

As home educating parents, it is important to keep fully informed and involved in education in Alberta. Anything 'education' – we care about participating in! Our presence and input can keep the Minister aware of our care and concern for our greater community and the priorities of Albertans. We believe in the rights of all parents in the province to contribute to what is understood in the Education Act to be the "visions, principles and values" that "are the foundation of the education system in Alberta."

If parents want to be heard, and AB Education is looking for your input, you will have to speak up. You should prepare a response in advance, as on-the-spot answers may be more difficult to provide. 

The Minister has provided several imminent opportunities for you to share your opinion of this draft order. Please consider participating in one of the following:

• Virtual Parent Sessions
  • February 19, 1:30-3 pm - English | French
  • February 20, 7-8:30 pm - English | French
    
    

• Online Survey
  
  
• Written Survey in English or French
  • Email them in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mail them to:
  • Executive Director, Curriculum Coordination and Implementation
    Alberta Education
    9 Floor, 10044 108 Street, 44 Capital Boulevard
    Edmonton, AB T5J 5E6
    

• In Person Sessions – I was specifically told that if you want to go to one of the in person sessions, which are table discussions, you should attend even if it says it is full, as they are set up for overflow. The in person sessions have a high turnout by teachers (who are also parents, I realize) that have come prepared with their ATA suggested comments/responses.
  • Feb. 18^th – Calgary is FULL, but address is Sandman Hotel, 8001 11th Street SE
  • Feb. 19^th – Calgary can register here. Edmonton can register here.

You need to read the draft in full to consider your responses to the following questions:

1. Having read the draft Ministerial Order on student learning, does it accurately represent the goals for student learning in Alberta?
   (Y or N) (Why/why not?)
   
   
2. What are the strengths of the draft Ministerial Order on Student Learning? 
   (Why do you consider these strengths?)
   
   
3. What are the gaps in the draft Ministerial Order on Student Learning?
   (Why is it important to address these gaps?)

If you would like to know more about what the CAP Recommendations on Direction for Curriculum to Minister LaGrange, read their report here. This is actually very helpful in understanding the basis for the draft Ministerial Order. 

​Hello Alberta home educators. You have until Friday, December 6, 2019 to fill out this Choice in Education engagement survey. The AHEA board has come up with some ideas on how you may wish to answer some of these questions with the idea to promote the home education approach to learning and lifestyle. Feel free to consider the below ideas in your answers, trying where possible to put things in your own words. Hopefully many of our ideas strike a chord with your thoughts and sentiments concerning home education. As well, please let us know of benefits of home education that you submitted in your survey that we might have missed. You can email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can find the survey here, (https://www.alberta.ca/choice-in-education-engagement.aspx) where you can either fill out the survey electronically (with the ability to partially fill it out, save it, and finalize it later) or use the PDF version that you can print out.

Regards,

The AHEA Board

What does choice in education mean to you?

With respect to the right to home education, this includes not merely a right over the place in which education occurs, but a right to determine the very content, process and timing of this education.

Christian schools and other schools of faith, should also be able to choose curriculum that is consistent with their faith perspective and the values of the parents who choose to send their children there.

What are the reasons that you/your child chose this school(s)/program(s)? (Please write in the box below)

• The ability to instill my family's values (religious, worldview) in my children.
• Because I believe that God has given me, as the parent, the responsibility to teach my children.
• To personally lead my children in fine academic achievement.
• To personally lead my children in contentment in life.
• To personally lead my children in being active citizens.
• To take the lead in producing children who are sociable, not just with their peers, but with people of all ages, and in various situations and settings.
• To spend a significant amount of time with my children whom I love being with.
• The ability to tailor the curriculum, the delivery of the curriculum, and the pace of learning to match what is best for my children, including those with special needs.
• To achieve flexibility in education in terms of the timing of educating my children, as well as the location.
• For my children to benefit from practical, life integrated education in the context of family and community.

​Are you satisfied with the current amount of choice in education in Alberta?

I would like to continue to see all of these education options to be available in addition to public education:

• Separate
• Private
• Home Education

​What, if anything, do you see as currently working well or needing improvement in terms of choice in Alberta's education system?

When answering this keep in mind the freedom to have some education options that give you not merely the right over the place in which education occurs, but a right to determine the very content, process and timing of this education and assessment possibilities.

It is working well that standardized testing is not compulsory for home educated students, as parents are taking the responsibility for the education of their children, and home educated students follow individualized programming.

Areas for improvement may include greater recognition of parental authority in the education of their children.

What would you like to see in the future in terms of choice in Alberta's education system?

• To continue to have the following educational options available in addition to public education:
  • Separate
  • Private
  • Home Education
• To see the introduction of a "notification only" option for home education for which I would be willing to forsake funding and not be required to meet twice annually with a facilitator.

An update to all education acts and education regulations to clearly recognize parents as the authority over their children's education. This includes recognizing that it is the parents' responsibility to determine what is in the best interest of their children.