Home Education in Alaska (under AS § 14.30.010(b)(12)) Compared to Homeschool Programs (under AS § 14.30.010(b)(10)(B), AS § 14.03.300, and AS § 14.03.310)
It is important to know that there are two options considered homeschooling in Alaska: parents may home educate their children with no notification or they may enroll their children in a district correspondence program. In Alaska, the term “homeschooler” can refer to families who homeschool by means of:
- a parent-directed home education program that is operating under the exemption of AS § 14.30.010(b)(12) and is privately funded;
- a “homeschool” program (known as a district correspondence school) consisting of both a home-based school program that is parent-directed under a certified teacher and district approved.
Home Educating under exemption (b)(12)
With home education, parents make a choice to retain complete responsibility to direct and deliver the education of their children, maintaining their parental authority and autonomy through educating in the home. The parents do not need to notify a school, a school board, a school district, or the state of Alaska of their intent to home educate. The parents solely determine, provide, and evaluate their subjects and graduation requirements for their home education program. The parent decides how evaluations take place and if any testing is to be done. When choosing this form of education, parents are legally able to issue their own diplomas and transcripts. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) defines home educating under the (b)(12) exemption as “Homeschooling,” and this offers the greatest degree of parental control.
Homeschool Programs
Homeschool programs do not fall under the Home Education exemption (b)(12) at all. In this situation, parents grant the government the authority over their children’s education. Such programs operate under the Sections 300 & 310 of Chapter 3 of Title 14 and other pertinent regulations but not the (b)(12) exemption of Section 10, Chapter 30. Students enrolled in homeschool programs are considered to be part of the public school system, similar to the students who physically attend institutional schools. The responsibility for program delivery and evaluation belongs to the parent, which is approved, monitored, and reported by a certified Alaska teacher. The school, through the teacher, is ultimately responsible for “providing” the program as well as for recording and keeping all grades. The students’ education is fully the responsibility of the school; parents have the lesser amount of control with this option.
APHEA and Home Education
Alaska Private and Home Educators Association (APHEA) has always affirmed the right of parents to retain the responsibility of teaching their children. We believe God has equipped parents to direct the education of their children. We believe that programs that may compromise this right and these responsibilities need to be carefully evaluated by each individual family. If a parent desires and is able to exercise exclusive direction of their child’s program, then home educating under the (b)(12) exemption is the preferred option if a parent desires to maintain their parental authority over their child’s education.
Home Education Compared to Homeschool Programs
| Home Education | Homeschool Program | |
| The parent . . . | . . . chooses to retain complete autonomy and control of his or her child’s education. | . . . chooses to give authority for his or her child’s education to the state government. |
| The government considers this to be . . . | . . . homeschooling. | . . . public education at home. |
| The program is taught by . . . | . . . the parent or a person designated by the parent. | . . . the parent or a person designated by the parent while reporting to a teacher assigned to the child/parent by the Homeschool Program. |
| Who is ultimately responsible for the program? | The parent is responsible. | The school is responsible. |
| What curricula can be used, and who chooses it? | A wide variety of parent-selected curriculum options are available, including unit studies, literature-based studies, textbooks, workbooks, DVDs, online classes, and various complete curriculum packages. | A wide variety of parent-selected curriculum options are available and must be reported to the assigned teacher for approval; the teacher/school is responsible for determining if curricular selections are in compliance with the State of Alaska’s public school educational content standards. |
| Who evaluates the student? | The parent assesses the student’s progress. The parent is responsible for assigning grades and credits to the student’s academic record. | Evaluations, assessments, and testing are the responsibility of the school; teachers review parent-submitted progress reports. Progress reports are considered recommended grades; the assigned teacher has the authority to place grades and credits on the student’s academic record. These grades and credits may or may not concur with the parent’s progress reports. |