I never planned to be an educator. In fact, being a dyslexic had me completely at odds with the education system in every way. However, I was smart enough to know that even though the system was broken, it was nonetheless a means to an end. In wanting to leave the world I was stuck … Continue reading "Final Thoughts On AHEA: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 15)"

I am sure you have already been told that things are not always as they seem. This is true. We have all experienced situations where we have had to seriously change things in order to accommodate a new order. Life is full of these kinds of surprises. For instance, we likely have all been disappointed … Continue reading "Now What? On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 14)"

After a mother attended one of AHEA’s marketing meetings this fall, she asked me what AHEA actually is, what they are doing and whether they truly represent and defend home education. Tough questions! Let me try to answer them as best as I can, but before I do, let me make it clear that from … Continue reading "Home Education Without the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA): On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 13)"

Now, as if the Notification Only non-solution and the advancement of terrible accounting practices aren’t enough, AHEA has come up with yet another very bad idea. Why not make students with physical ailments and learning issues worth more money, just like schools do? Twenty-five years, mostly as a high school teacher, have led me to … Continue reading "AHEA Proposes Yet Another Boondoggle: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 12)"

My last few years as a public school teacher were blessed ones for me. I moved from teaching French to teaching upper academic Biology courses, which was more in keeping with my interest and training. I had more than a few experiences with “special needs” students in my day, but these last years were especially … Continue reading "Understanding “Special Needs” Funding Abuses: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 11)"

Moving on to another concern respecting the new funding arrangements being advanced as improvements by AHEA, we will now address the carrying forward of funds. At first brush, this looks like a good thing, but we must ask a few more questions. If we are aiding home educating parents, is it a good thing to … Continue reading "Carrying Forward: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 10)"

Before addressing the next AHEA misstep, we need to look at some more history. By the time the new millennium was in full swing, there were a fair number of home education providers vying for home educated students and the associated cash. The trickery, the manipulation, the falsifications, the buying of parent affiliation with the … Continue reading "AHEA’s Funding “Advancements”: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 9)"

Every once in a while, someone gets inspired to fix a problem and, with much effort, accomplishes the task. The big questions are: what problem was being solved and was it really a problem in the first place? Furthermore, was consideration given to the fact that each new development comes with its winners and losers? … Continue reading "Is the Solution Truly A Positive Change? On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 8)"

If AHEA is informing us that it has taken decades to get the Notification Only option passed, is it possible that it is no longer needed? Or does it indicate a level of ineptitude on AHEA’s part or intransigence on the government’s part? Perhaps all of the above. Until I did my facilitation visits this … Continue reading "AHEA’s Notification Only: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 7)"

As a school teacher, my all-time favourite principal was a great fellow with a big heart for education. Even though he was the leader of a large school in Edmonton, he insisted that everyone in possession of a teaching certificate teach at least one class. He himself taught two, one at a grade ten level … Continue reading "A Basis for Notification Only: On the Alberta Home Education Association (AHEA) (Part 6)"