AHEM’s Mission: One-on-One Support

Over the past weeks we have explored ways that AHEM supports your homeschooling family through advocacy and information. AHEM is also a critical resource if things aren’t going well. Have you ever received a letter from the school threatening DCF action because you haven’t complied with overreach? I have. And it was anxiety producing, to say the least. Even as a seasoned homeschooler (it was my fourth year!) I was uncertain about what to do, what my rights were, and how to best talk to the school in a way that would get results.

AHEM was there to support me and continues to support other families each month. Our volunteers have extensive experience and can offer resources and advice on how to approach a number of different issues with the school system. AHEM also has a state-wide view, keeping its finger on the pulse of what is going on in different communities around the state. When necessary, AHEM convenes meetings of homeschoolers within a town to strategize how to best respond to new school requests, as we did recently for Medford homeschoolers faced with a new district form with new requests. Each year, AHEM receives 100-200 individual emails or calls through our One-on-One contacts program. We strive to respond to each one within 24 hours. Many are seeking information on how to begin homeschooling or ways to connect with their local homeschooling community. Others have more complex questions about their district’s policies, forms, and requests.

Within the last year, we have instituted a follow-up survey for those who use our One-on-One contacts program. We are happy to report that to date we have received five stars across the board. Here are some Massachusetts homeschooling family reflections on AHEMs support this year:

“I asked for guidance on how to write my education plan as my district has a reputation to be strict. i was given great guidance on how to provide the minimal required information and it was accepted. saved me a lot of time and frustration too. thank you!”

“Our school district initially wouldn't approve educational plan until we agreed to two yearly assessments. Thanks to the help I received from the AHEM contact, I was able to confidently hold my ground to provide one. They eventually approved our plan.”

The surveys AHEM conducts every year help us keep an eye on ground-level changes in what towns are asking for. They can also provide hard numbers to use when communicating with districts. For example, it is not uncommon for districts to try to ask for more than a simple parent-created progress report at the end of the year. AHEM’s surveys routinely show, however, that more than 80% of Massachusetts homeschoolers use a progress report and that most are approved with no issues. It is hard for one town to argue that their requests for more are “essential” with these numbers.

All of our resources are free to MA homeschoolers, and all of the people involved in AHEM leadership and answering questions for MA homeschoolers are volunteers. But we still have costs associated with keeping AHEM running. Each year we spend $500 on software to keep an eye on legislation, $1400 on Mailchimp and Survey Monkey collecting information from local homeschoolers and sending out newsletters, $450 on website upkeep, and $400 on outreach and mailings. These costs add up quickly and we cannot do the work we do without the support of the larger homeschooling community.

Each of us benefits from the many supports AHEM provides. Would you consider donating today to support the costs of keeping AHEM running? Donate securely online or mail a check to AHEM, 40 Herrick Rd, Boxford, MA 01921. AHEM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and your gift to AHEM is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law (and greatly appreciated).