The convention team is working hard with great anticipation and excitement to finalize everything for the convention! We pray that it will be a blessing to you and your family.

We are pleased to announce that a few registration deadlines have been extended to March 14.

• Our enriching Children's Program. Register here!
• Hands-on Youth Labs. Register here!
  • First Aid
  • Photography
  • Speed Reading
  • Card Creation
  • (NOT Heart Dissection)

There is a new special College & Career event on Friday night! Help spread the word!!​ Designed to encourage the young adults and to give them an opportunity to make lasting friendships. They will also spend time in an intimate group setting with our keynote Daniel Craig, who has a great heart for young adults. Register here!

As usual, we are in great need of volunteers - about 150 at this point in time. Without them, we cannot run the convention. So if you can spare even a few hours of your time during the convention, it would be greatly appreciated! Register here!

See you soon!

AHEA Convention Team

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.

Our theme this year is based on 3 John 1:4: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." The dates are March 26-28th, 2020, so please take note that it is two weeks earlier than normal as we had a conflict with Easter during our normal April time. We are really thrilled to announce that our Keynote Speakers for this convention are:​​

Steve & Megan Sheibner and Sonya Shafer, with Daniel Craig coming to speak to the youth!

 The Minister of Education had made the following, widely circulated, announcement. AHEA is wanting to bring it to your attention again, in the hopes that there may be some of our number willing and able to take part in this unique opportunity. Let us know if you join the Minister's Youth Council!

Applications are due by July 31, 2019.

"As you know, student voice is important for our education system.

I am excited to announce recruitment for the 2019/20 Minister's Youth Council. We are looking for approximately 32 junior and senior high school students, ages 14 to 19, with diverse interests, identities, backgrounds and perspectives from all regions of Alberta. We will be accepting up to eight returning council members and at least 24 new members. The council will continue to give students the opportunity to build their leadership skills at the provincial level, make an impact on education and leave a legacy that will last well into the future.

Students can apply directly to Alberta Education before July 31, 2019. For more information, I invite you to visit our website at alberta.ca/student-engagement.aspx.

Should you have any questions regarding the provincial student engagement strategy, please contact Rhonda Jessen, Manager, Strategic Engagement Branch, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 780-638-3153 (toll-free by first dialing 310-0000).

I look forward to hearing directly from students and working together to strengthen our education system."