Click here for June 11, 2007 update

Re: (1) Music, Art & P.E Regulation Relief Effort
      (2) How the Truancy Bill Was Killed

Do your allotment dollars stretch
to pay for music, art and P.E. in the same year? The 2004 Statewide Correspondence School regulation changes created a spending cap on these educational opportunities in statewide programs only. Would you like to see fairness in opportunity for all homeschoolers? This will not cost the state or any district extra money! Homeschoolers in statewide programs do a fine job for a fraction of the State cost of building-based and in-district programs!

You Can Make A Difference!

This year several bills introduced truancy issues: SB31, SB10 and SB14. On March 28th the Senate Special Education Committee heard testimony on SB10 (approx. $1 million dollars to pay for truancy officers in 13 school districts) that claimed to combine elements of SB31. Later in the session Senator Davis' office suggested absorbing SB10 into SB14 which vaguely addressed truancy and threatened to raise the compulsory school age from 16 to 18 for children enrolled in public schools. The final bill would have affected homeschoolers, both affiliated and independent.

SB14 stalled out in the Senate Education Committee. Why? Senator Gary Stevens remarked on the "large amount of email" he received opposing this bill: 34 against, 2 in favor. If 34 emails can help stall SB14, imagine what 100 times that can do to motivate our Governor, State Board of Education and Legislators to act! (10,000 children are currently home schooled in Alaska.)

Enough is Enough! It's Time to Act!

An AHEA board member talked with Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner (DEED), Roger Sampson, late last month. Although the commissioner said he is always open to improvements, he foresees no changes in regulations that will provide relief to statewide programs. He suggested that our best recourse for relief is to contact our legislators. AHEA believes that homeschoolers need to contact Alaska State Board of EED members because the punitive restrictions on families in statewide programs were caused by regulation changes approved by them in 2004.

The solution is regulatory! Remember this does not cost the state or district extra money. It simply allows the child's learning plan to drive the dollars spent.

If you've had enough, making a difference is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. 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.

2. Email the State Board or EED Members. (For email addresses and Contacting Tips, click here).

3. Attend the Alaska State Board of EED meeting in Anchorage on June 7th @ 8:00 AM with your children! Those who plan to speak must sign in before 7:45 AM. Email AHEA@AHEAnow.org for talking points and more details.

• Outside of Anchorage, attend the meeting via teleconference at your local Legislative Information Office. Click here.

• In Anchorage! Attend in person at Anchorage School District Board Room, 5530 East No. Lights Blvd. (formerly the Boniface Mall).

Sincerely,

The AHEA Board
www.AHEAnow.org

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.

Click here for June 11, 2007 update