Thank You to the IAHE Legislative Team!

Although the Indiana General Assembly only meets three or four months of the year. The IAHE Legislative Team works year round.  2014 will be a short session of ten intense weeks from January to mid-March.

The IAHE legislative team monitors committee meetings during the session in addition to State Board of Education meetings, and summer study committee meetings.  They follow up on issues and prepare for possible issues that may arise during the session.  They build relationships with elected officials.

The committee evaluates approximately 2,000 bills that are introduced each session and monitors their progress.  They testify at hearings and are available to legislators, the press, and other media outlets that have questions or desire an interview about home education in Indiana. 

The Legislative Director, Sandra Frazer, moderates the IAHE legislative panel at the IAHE Convention, oversees the IAHE Legislative Day Reception at the Statehouse, and is the “point person” for the team.

New this year we have a Legislative Intern.  Jake Hibbitt is a homeschool high school senior.  In addition to helping out with reading bills, meeting with legislators, etc., he has a major role in implementing IAHE's Legislative Day Dessert Reception in February.

IAHE would like to thank the following volunteers on our Legislative Team:  Micah Clark, Frank Franks, Sandra Frazer, Jake Hibbitt, Debi Ketron, Cindy Noe, Alison Slatter, Camille Cantwell, and Tyler White.

Thank you to our financial donors!

In a celebration of Thanksgiving, we are continuing our month-long blog series to say thank you to our IAHE volunteers.
As a non-profit organization, the IAHE is grateful for the families that generously donate their time, energy and resources.

Today, we would like to thank those individuals that have supported the IAHE financially in 2013. Your contributions allow our organization to carry out our mission to support and encourage families interested in home education. By partnering with us, you are also helping to protect the freedoms of homeschool families in the years ahead. 

Small or large, every donation helps us make a difference.

Since 1983, the IAHE and our Indiana homeschool pioneers paved the way for each and every one of us. They fought hard battles and they did it successfully. Those battles however, are not over. Each year new challenges emerge. The IAHE is dedicated to standing together with our supporters to face those challenges.

Did you know?

For many years, the IAHE was funded through the proceeds from our annual convention. Over the past several years, homeschool communities across the country has been seen an increase in for-profit homeschool conventions that have drained the financial resources of state organizations. There are state organizations in jeopardy of no longer being able to fulfill their mission to support homeschoolers based on the this new challenge. Without strong state organizations, our homeschooling freedoms are in even greater danger.  The IAHE needs your support.

Please prayerfully consider how God is directing you to support the IAHE.

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It's not too late to financially support the IAHE in 2013. 

As a 501c3, all donations to the IAHE are tax deductible. 

For more information, please visit our website. 

Speaker Bosma and Common Core...some encouraging news!

On November 6, 2013, Speaker of the House Brian Bosma met with concerned Hoosiers to discuss the Common Core State Standards. Speaker Bosma was very firm in his commitment that Indiana retains full control of our children's education. Because of his concern over Common Core and his desire to insure Indiana maintain control of education, Speaker Bosma was instrumental in pausing Common Core by helping to craft and guide HB1427 through the 2013 legislative session with its ultimate passage and signature by Governor Pence. He was surprised to learn that some schools are continuing to implement new Common Core materials into the classrooms despite the pause. Speaker Bosma said that a statute needed to be submitted to the House that would require high, independent Indiana Standards compatible with SAT and ACT and with independent Indiana testing. He expressed in the strongest terms that his goal is that we are not going to implement Common Core Standards in Indiana.

Although Indiana has some of the finest universities in the nation: Purdue, Indiana University and Notre Dame, Common Core committees ignored Indiana professors while setting the standards that could affect all Hoosier students. Indeed, none of the writers of the Common Core Standards was a professor and the only two professors who were part of the validation committee refused to support the poor quality of Common Core. 

In 2009,  46 governors committed their states to Common Core and by 2010 Common Core was approved by their states' boards of education. Common Core Standards gained support through the Federal Government’s Race To The Top program and the No Child Left Behind waivers.  Furthermore, organizations such as the Gates Foundation and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce have supported Common Core Standards from its outset.  Precisely why these organizations have a say over the educational needs of Hoosier children but the voices of parents and many educators are squelched remains unclear.  Perhaps, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers ownership of the copyright and financial interest of the Common Core standards may offer some insight.

Yet, with Speaker Brian Bosma’s interest in listening to the concerns of Hoosiers, there is an expectation that strong leadership for the future of Indiana’s children will prevail.

Thank you to our Informer magazine volunteers!

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we would like to give thanks to the many volunteers that are a part of the IAHE.

During the month of November we will be showcasing some of our different volunteers and our committee members. As a non-profit organization, the IAHE relies on the willingness of our many supporters to stand with us. They donate countless hours to help us fulfill our mission to serve and encourage homeschooling families across the state of Indiana.

Thank you to our Informer volunteers!

There are many people behind the scenes of production with The Informer. From graphic design, ad sales, writing and editing, the production of our quarterly magazine is truly a team effort.

One of the major tasks of producing a quality publication is the job of editing each article. Twice.

The current members of our editing team are:
Tawnee Hinton (Writing Director)
Misty Amstadt
Moriah Mantel

We would also like to thank the following individuals for their service in 2013:
Cassie Bentley
Tom Carrow
Cameron Mayhill
Jennifer Mayhill

Thank you!

Do you want to volunteer on our Informer team? 
The IAHE is always looking for new team members to come alongside us as we work to encourage new homeschoolers. Contact us at: informer@iahe.net

  

Thank you to our IAHE Convention volunteers!

Without our many, many volunteers the annual IAHE's Home Educators' Convention wouldn't be possible. It takes so many volunteers that we can't fit them all in one post. Here is just one portion of the people that offered their time to help make our 2013 convention a success. 

Thank you to Dave & Becky Bowyer for organizing this volunteer team. We are grateful to have both adult and teenagers that give their time to the organization. These wonderful people help monitor doors, set-up chairs, work registration and so much more. 

It's great to see entire families volunteering their time to work together to help keep the IAHE strong. 

Thank you!

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Grace	Atherton
Hannah	Atherton
Christina	Atherton
Phillip	Balke
Peter	Balke
Daniel	Balke
Kira	Barnes
Kendra	Barnes
Sheryl	Barnett
Nathan	Barnett
Trish	Bonnell
Jonathan	Bowyer
Isaac	Bowyer
Ethan	Boyer
Bonita	Brill
Susie	Bruning
Greg	Campbell
Charissa	Campbell
Lilly	Canady
Christina	Canady
Shirley	Cogswell
Nate	Denton
Joshua	Denton
Sandra	Frazer
Rebecca	Frazer
Jean	Fundenberger
Tami	Havics
Bryson	Havics
Lauren	Heady
Ashley	Heady
Gary	Higginbotham
Debbie	Higginbotham
Haley	Huffman
Daniel	Huffman
Shelby	Huffman
John	Huffman
Danny	King
Noah	King
Abbie	King
Jane	Koval
Jill	Koval
Samantha	Koval
Angel	Kuhn
Brent	Kuhn
Catherine	Marasch
Morgan	Marasch
Mitchell	Marasch
Michelle	Miller
Noah	Miller
Jesse	Miller
Angie	Murrell
Faith	Murrell
Grace	Murrell
Kae	Myers
Kiana	Myers
Carl	Osborne
Debbie	Osborne
Kate	Osborne
Joseph	Osborne
Mike	Raymond
Tami	Raymond
Matt	Raymond
Linda	Rose
Michael	Sempsrott
Lydia	Sempsrott
Carmen	Smallwood
Elizabeth	Smallwood
Matthew	Smallwood
Doug	Smith
Stephanie	Smith
Brady	Smith
Jennifer	Smith
John-Michael	Smith
Wesley	Smith
Lemuel	Smith
Seth	Smith
Thaddeus	Smith
Teddy	Smith
Chris	Snyder
Winston	Snyder
Cora	Snyder
Sherrie	Spear
Marci	Stephens
Audrey	Sweetland
Lisa	Thyr
Kari	Turner
Jared	Turner
Andrew	Turner
Diana	Via
Rachel	Watkins
Kurt	Watkins
Colin	Watkins
Martin	Wells
Jonathan	Wells
Coleman	Wells
Ginny	White
Ashley	Whitesell
Andrea	Whitesell
Austin	Whitesell

A season of thanksgiving!

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we would like to give thanks to the many volunteers that are a part of the IAHE.

During the month of November we will be showcasing some of our different volunteers and our committee members. As a non-profit organization, the IAHE relies on the willingness of our many supporters to stand with us. They donate countless hours to help us fulfill our mission to serve and encourage homeschooling families across the state of Indiana.

First up! 
Thank you to our Regional Representatives. 

These couples work across the state to serve families in each of their local communities. Regional Reps answer phone calls and emails from parents looking to get started in home education. They speak at local events and they work during the IAHE's Home Educators' Convention each year.

Consider taking a couple of minutes to drop a quick note to your regional rep to let them know how much you appreciate their service.

Region 1 Dennis & Tamra Wells
Region 2 Jason & Stacy Hanaway 
Region 3 Jeff & Lori Bennett 
Region 4 Pat & Kathy Balke
Region 5 Warren & Karen Whitesell
Region 6 Dave & Becky Bowyer
Region 7 Shawn & Amy Canaday 
Region 8 Mark & Tara Bentley
Region 9 Dan & Shawn King
Region10 Greg & Kimberly Laskowski
Region 11 Dave & Eve Drew 
Region 12 Jon & Debbie Sweetland
Region 13 Steve & Rebecca Barnes 
Region 14 Tom & Lisa Heady
Region 15 Jeff & Lori Bennett
Region 16 Shawn & Theresa Slinkard

Thank you!

New IAHE Region 16 Representatives

We are VERY pleased to announce that IAHE has new Region 16 Reps., Shawn & Theresa Slinkard!

Shawn and Theresa live just north of Evansville, Indiana (Vanderburgh County).  They have four children ranging in age from 15 to 4 and have been homeschooling for 11 years. Their family is active in their church youth group, and Shawn leads the youth praise and worship band.

They are involved in the local home school community through co-ops and support groups.    They are looking forward to serving Region 16 families.