Alaska Home Educators Alliance

About AHEA

Stand And Be Counted

Homeschoolers Needed to Take Stand – For more info, Meet Up with AHEA members (in person or via teleconference)!

Dear Homeschoolers and Friends of Homeschoolers,

Thank you for your interest in helping to change the current perceptions about homeschoolers in Alaska.

Those of you who participated in the (early) July 2007 Governor's call-in that addressed needs of homeschoolers in statewide correspondence schools, may have received a letter from Lynne Smith in the Governor's office (dated 7/26/07) where she states that the Department of Education and Early Development (the DEED) now believes that the only way to resolve our issues is with more laws!

AHEA members, many of whom were involved with campaigns to put legislators in office who were pro-homeschooling, believe that such laws are already on the books, and further involvement from the legislature will be counter productive. AHEA members contacted Ms. Smith requesting more information about how she reached her decisions. She relied heavily on information from the DEED.

CALL TO ACTION
Stand And Be Counted!

It is important that the State Board of Education and Early Development (Board of EED) hear from homeschool families at each of their meetings. The next board meeting is scheduled for Sep 20th and 21st. AHEA encourages you to be in attendance and be counted. Some of you may want to testify before the board at that time. Specifically, we are looking for people willing to share their personal stories, and why they believe homeschooling is such an important and viable choice for their children, as well as any challenges they have experienced because of the 2004 regulation changes. All homeschoolers need to be represented. Quite frankly, the more homeschoolers on hand during public testimony and during their promised work session when the DEED explains why they can not resolve the homeschool issues through regulation and need a new law, the better!

You're invited to visit with us at any of several Meet Ups in person, over the phone and via teleconference during the next 8 days (Sept. 12-20). These one hour meetings will be for the purpose of sharing information we have learned and to get input from you.

Click on the following location for meet up information and a printable handout for your area, if available:

If there are no meetings planned for your area, contact AHEA@AHEAnow.org, starting Sept. 12, to request one.

Starting September 11th, you can teleconference with AHEA members each night at 9:15pm. If interested, please email Teleconference@AHEAnow.org. Send your name, telephone number and the date you would like to call into the teleconference.

Not all of our meetings will be on short notice and many will be via teleconference. Please, if you are interested and the above times are not convenient for you, let us know what works for you. An AHEA member will be available to speak with you. If you can answer this call to action, making a difference is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Please click here to e-mail and state if you are interested in attending a "Meet Up". Please list which times are best for you to attend.
If you have not done so already, please take the homeschool survey to help AHEA focus on the changes that are most important to you; so, we can advocate on your behalf.
Mark your calendar for September 20th and 21st and contact your friends asking them to attend the meeting on September 21st (In Anchorage or by teleconference at your local LIO) so that your voice can be counted. Ask them to participate in this show of unity. Attend in person at Anchorage School District Board Room, 5530 East No. Lights Blvd. (formerly the Boniface Mall).

More information can be found on our website www.AHEAnow.org.

Sincerely,

The AHEA Board

Alaska Home Educators Alliance (AHEA) is an information group interested in the rights of parents to educate their children at home. We are interested in safety, performance, equity, and cost of education in Alaska. We believe you can make a difference.