News & Events

Home with Kids in the Time of COVID-19

Reissuing this piece from almost a year ago. Hoping it can act as a bit of a pressure valve, especially during these long winter days when homeschool burnout tends to rear its head.

By Sophia Sayigh

Maybe you have subscribed to our list or are visiting our website because you have unexpectedly found yourself at home all day with your kids. You may have seen some blog posts and articles with suggestions for how to manage having kids around all day. I know I have. Some pressure parents to impose school-like schedules on kids so that kids won’t fall behind. Here I have tried to draw on the wisdom of practicing homeschoolers in these difficult times. Trying to recreate school at home can be stressful. And goodness knows, none of us need more stress in our lives right now. So here is a short list of tips for being around your kids 24/7 that have been successful strategies for many a homeschooling family: Read more.

A Brief History of Homeschooling in Massachusetts

INTRODUCTION

Massachusetts has no statute that specifically addresses homeschooling. Rather, homeschooling is governed by case law, in conjunction with applicable statutes. The most important case is Care and Protection of Charles & others, 399 Mass. 324 (1987). In this case, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld the compulsory attendance statute, General Laws Chapter 76, Section 1. In its decision, the Court was aware of the need to balance two basic tenets—the constitutional right of the parents to homeschool and the state’s interest in the education of its citizenry. The result was delegation of homeschooling oversight to local school districts. Read more.

Announcing Town Point People

AHEM is building a list of town or school district-specific point people to help homeschooling families connect families with others in town. So far we have a Town Point Person for: ... Read more.

Nuts and Bolts of Homeschooling in Massachusetts

Thursday, February 4, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Whether you are actively considering home education or are just curious about how it is done, you are invited to attend Nuts and Bolts of Homeschooling in Massachusetts. The free virtual program will be sponsored by the Amesbury Public Library, 149 Main St, Amesbury, MA on Thursday, February 4, 2021, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

This workshop will cover Massachusetts homeschool guidelines; the history of homeschooling in MA; writing your education plan; choosing a form of evaluation; and local homeschool policies. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

The program will be presented by Milva McDonald. Milva is the mother of four adult children, all of whom homeschooled for all or most of their childhood and teenage years. She began homeschooling in 1991, after reading an essay by John Taylor Gatto and realizing school and the PTA weren't for her. She's a co-founder of Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts, and served as a support group leader, field trip organizer, and potluck host for many joyful homeschooling years. Her books include Slow Homeschooling and Unschoolers. She blogs at www.apotlucklife.com.

Admission is free, but preregistration is required.

Space is limited and spots are allotted on a first come, first served basis.

Please respect AHEM’s mission to empower individuals through education by not soliciting for your business at this event.

2020 in Review from AHEM!

Please consider AHEM when you are making end-of-year charitable donations!

Highlights of 2020

2020 brought new challenges to AHEM, as it did to everyone. We tried our best to respond to needs as they cropped up and changed. Read more.