Mail-in Ballots must be postmarked today. 
Vote for Amended and Restated Articles and Bylaws.

Your mail-in ballot is located in the center of the Summer issue of the Connect. Simply check the box to vote for the candidate in your district. It is vitally important that you cast your vote to approve the Amended and Restated Articles as well as the Amended and Restated Bylaws. These changes are explained in detail in the Winter/Spring issue of the Connect. A redline version of both documents is available for member viewing. For access, you must be logged in as a current member.

The FPEA Board of Directors have approved and are recommending these changes to aid members and help make FPEA operations more efficient and effective as we continue to support your homeschool journey. In addition, our legal counsel advised us that additional changes are required to the Articles and the Bylaws to make them legally compliant. Those changes have also been included.

Convention attendees may cast their vote on Thursday prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

If you have any questions, please email Trish Oliva at executivedirector@fpea.com or call 321-223-0068.

Exercising your right to vote is an important part of membership and we appreciate your active involvement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 P.M. EDT, Melbourne, FL, February 4, 2013

Contact: Trish Oliva, Executive Director
asm@fpea.com       321-223-0068

        A story about human trafficking aired by WFLA in Pinellas County on Friday, February 1, 2013 contained erroneous information about homeschooling and homeschooled students.  Below is the formal letter prepared by FPEA and sent to WFLA today by email and traditional mail.  FPEA has requested an on-air retraction to  be made to correct the unsubstantiated statements.  

Dear News Editor, 

This letter is in response to your airing of a news report on incidents of human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area (at the time this letter is being written, a link to your report may be found at http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2013/feb/01/victims-helping-in-effort-to-curb-human-45058-vi-31190. The FPEA, which is the principal organization representing homeschooling families all across Florida, agrees that human trafficking is a critical issue facing our society and that criminal activity must be exposed, especially when it targets the most innocent victims among us. However, we are greatly troubled by the information at the end of the report that names homeschooling as a potential indicator of human trafficking activity. 

At the end of the piece, the reporter states that homeschooled children are among those identified by the Department of Homeland Security as possible victims of human trafficking. However, a DHS list of indicators of human trafficking activity, which can be accessed at http://www.dhs.gov/human-trafficking-indicatorsnever mentions homeschooled children. We are concerned about where the reporter received such inaccurate, misleading information about home education. 

In addition, the end of the report includes a comment about “homeschooled children who are not allowed to interact with others in their peer group.” This statement feeds into a stereotypical misconception of the social maturity of homeschooled students. Many studies, including one by the National Home Education Research Institute (http://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html), show that home-educated students perform above average in measures of social, emotional and psychological development. 

Since your report aired, we have received comments from many of the thousands of families that are members of the FPEA, including those who live outside your broadcast area and saw the report online. Like us, they find the references to homeschooling in your report to be misleading, inaccurate and irresponsible. The comments unfairly malign the reputation of homeschoolers, who in fact make up some of the most responsible members of our society. It is especially troubling that a news outlet of your stature in the Tampa Bay area and beyond would make such a statement during what was declared National School Choice Week. 

We respectfully request that you make an on-air retraction of the inaccurate, misleading information about homeschooling in your otherwise timely, necessary report, as well as post the retraction across other media platforms. Thank you for your attention to this, and the FPEA looks forward to seeing more accurate portrayals of home education in your future reporting. 

On behalf of the FPEA Board of Directors,
 

Trish Oliva
Executive Director
Florida Parent-Educators Association
www.fpea.com
office@fpea.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 P.M. EDT, December 21, 2012

Contact: Trish Oliva, Admin. Services Manager

asm@fpea.com       321-223-0068

Homeschool Consideration and school safety

December 21, 2012, Melbourne, FL — The FPEA is extremely saddened by the news of the recent school shootings in Connecticut. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims and to all others affected. While we mourn the loss of so many children and teachers, we begin to turn our attention to the issue of school safety.

Tragedies of this nature raise the question in every parent’s mind, “Are my children safe in their current school?” Oftentimes at this point, parents begin to consider whether home education is a viable option to ensure the safety of their children. As parents consider their options, the FPEA supports their freedom to educate their children at home. In this process, though, the FPEA encourages parents not to make the decision to home-educate impulsively.

To make an informed decision, get the facts about homeschooling and receive numerous resources by visiting www.fpea.com. The information there will help parents decide what is best for their children.

About the FPEA

The Florida Parent-Educators Association exists solely to serve homeschooling families in Florida. It executes that mission through support for the legal right to homeschool, local school board education and interaction, support group networking, a state convention, local conferences and events, informative communications, and individual encouragement, all in accordance with Judeo-Christian principles.

]]> http://www.fpea.com/press-release-december-21-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.fpea.com/member-showcase-michelle-ellis/ http://www.fpea.com/member-showcase-michelle-ellis/#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:57:51 +0000 FPEA http://www.fpea.com/?p=3002 For Michelle Ellis and her husband, Kevin, the decision to home educate came long before the arrival of their two boys. The Ellises found inspiration from the Bible as well as affirmation from Michelle’s 25 years of experience as a public school teacher, where she taught a range of children … read more

I’m always amazed at God’s ability to put me just where I need to be, whether it’s something I need personally or something He needs me to open my heart to, even when I don’t realize I need it. That happened twice for me at the Leaders Forum.

The first was when I attended Rick Andreassen’s “Ministering to the Heart of a Leader” workshop. To be honest, I didn’t even know who Rick was before that day and I choose his workshop only because none of the others seemed to apply to me directly. I didn’t want to “waste” the hour, so I sat in on Coach Rick’s. Wow! What a blessing. He gave us this little handout to follow along as he spoke. I have since neatly folded and deposited that handout in my purse to have with me whenever I need a little morsel of blessing. I left that room with swollen eyes from crying, with an encouraged spirit to keep going knowing that “God doesn’t call the qualified, but He qualifies who He calls,” and with the knowledge that being in that seat, right at that moment was just where I was supposed to be. If you are like me and don’t know who Coach Rick is, do yourself a favor and find out.

My other blessing that day was when I “accidentally” sat in on the “wrong” lecture. Let me say, though, that being there was no accident. I was supposed to be there — to be brought to tears over the children who need help to have their basic daily needs meet; to hear about Compassion International’s work with local churches across the world to help save the lives and souls of children; and to meet Sheyla, the beautiful 3-year-old girl from El Salvador who became the child I will be sponsoring through Compassion.

I’m looking forward to next year’s Leaders Forum and to the blessings I will yet again receive despite not even being aware I need them. Thank you, FPEA, for organizing such an amazing time with such amazing speakers and leaders to feed me when I’m hungry.

by Roberta Underhill, FPEA Ambassador

During that scary yet exciting time, the Guerras turned a spare bedroom into a schoolroom, setting up an American flag and hanging the ABCs all around the top border of the walls. “We put our hands over our chests and recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning,” Monica recalls. “As if that was not funny enough I even taped name tags to the school desks like they did in public school. As if I wouldn’t know the names of my two students! I had no frame of reference except the way I was schooled.”

Monica laughs when she remembers those early days, recalling how unsure she was of her abilities. The turning point for her when a family at the Guerras’ church gave her a volume of a specific homeschool curriculum that fit her vision and gave her a “how” that matched the “why.”

Some time later a friend gave Monica some recordings of FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention workshops. “After hearing them we knew we had to attend to learn more,” the mother of four explains, “so we registered for the following year. My husband and I were awestruck to see that we were part of a group of thousands of parents who have the same passion for their kids and families as we did. The Convention is the vaccine to immunize against any doubts or fears you may have.”

Now a veteran homeschooler who says, “I have no regrets,” Monica has also drawn encouragement from being part of a vibrant homeschool community in Pinellas County. “I love to encourage homeschool moms,” she declares. To that end she has served on the board of directors of a local homeschool support group and as an FPEA Facebook Ambassador.

Even as Monica graduates her oldest child in May (“Boy, how time flies,” she observes), she still has insecurities, but according to her, “the core vision has never changed, and I am trusting God with the outcome. Whenever I start daydreaming of the shiny yellow bus pulling up to my house, I listen to some workshops, and it gives me the inspiration and motivation to press on and inject some fun into our learning together.”

By Tim Elmore, 2012 Convention Speaker

You may have noticed a paradox that exists among students today. Although there are exceptions to the rule, this generation of kids is advanced intellectually, but behind emotionally.

From an intellectual perspective, students today have been exposed to so much more than I was growing up — and far sooner too. They’ve consumed information on everything from cyberspace to sexual techniques before they graduate from middle school. Everything is coming at them sooner. Sociology professor Tony Campolo said, “I am convinced we don’t live in a generation of bad kids. We live in a generation of kids who know too much too soon.”

On the other hand, students have been stunted in their emotional maturity. They seem to require more time to actually “grow up” and prepare for the responsibility that comes with adulthood. This is a result of many factors, not the least of which is well-intentioned parents who hover over their kids, not allowing them to experience the pain of maturation. It’s like the child who tries to help the new butterfly break out of the cocoon, and realizes later that they have done a disservice to that butterfly. The butterfly is not strong enough to fly once it is free.

There is another reason, however, that teens struggle with maturation. Scientists are gaining new insights into remarkable changes in teenagers’ brains that may explain why the teen years are so hard on young people and their parents. From ages 11-14, kids lose some of the connections between cells in the part of their brain that enables them to think clearly and make good decisions.

Pruning the Brain

What happens is that the brain is pruning itself — going through changes that will allow a young person to move into adult life effectively. “Ineffective or weak brain connections are pruned in much the same way a gardener would prune a tree or bush, giving the plant a desired shape,” says Alison Gopnik, professor of child development at the University of California-Berkeley. Adolescents experiencing these brain changes can react emotionally, according to Ian Campbell, a neurologist at the University of California-Davis Sleep Research Laboratory. Mood swings and uncooperative, irresponsible attitudes can all be the result of these changes. Sometimes students can’t explain why they feel the way they do. Their brain is changing from that of a child to that of an adult. Regions that specialize in language, for example, grow rapidly until about age 13 and then stop. The frontal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for high-level reasoning and decision making, aren’t fully mature until the early 20s, according to Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, a neuroscientist at Harvard University’s Brain Imaging Center. There’s a portion of time when the child part of the brain has been pruned, but the adult portion is not fully formed. They are “in between.” They are informed but not prepared.

The bottom line? Students today are consuming information they aren’t completely ready to handle. The adult part of their brain is still forming and isn’t ready to apply all that our society throws at it. Their mind takes it in and files it, but their will and emotions are not prepared to act on it in a healthy way. They can become paralyzed by all the content they consume. They want so much to be able to experience the world they’ve seen on websites or heard on podcasts, but don’t realize they are unprepared for that experience emotionally. They are truly in between a child and an adult. (This is the genius behind movie ratings and viewer-discretion advisories on TV). I believe a healthy, mature student is one who has developed intellectually, volitionally, emotionally and spiritually. I also believe there are marks we can look for as we coach them into maturity.

Signs to Look For

So what are the marks of maturity? We all love it when we see young people who carry themselves well and show signs of being mature. They interact with adults in an adult manner. Those kinds of students are downright refreshing. Let me give you a list of what I consider to be the marks of maturity. At Growing Leaders, we seek to build these marks in young people ages 16-24 as we partner with schools. This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are characteristics I notice in young people who are unusually mature intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. If you are a parent–this is a good list of qualities to begin developing in your child. If you are a coach, or a teacher or a dean, these are the signs you wish all students possess when they graduate. For that matter, these are signs I wish all adults would model for the generation coming behind them.

1. They are able to keep long-term commitments.

One key signal of maturity is the ability to delay gratification. Part of this means a student is able to keep commitments even when they are no longer new or novel. They can commit to continue doing what is right even when they don’t feel like it.

2. They are unshaken by flattery or criticism.

As people mature, they sooner or later understand that nothing is as good as it seems and nothing is as bad as it seems. Mature people can receive compliments or criticism without letting it ruin them or sway them into a distorted view of themselves. They are secure in their identity.

3. They possess a spirit of humility.

Humility parallels maturity. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. Mature people aren’t consumed with drawing attention to themselves. They see how others have contributed to their success and can even sincerely give honor to their Creator who gave them the talent. This is the opposite of arrogance.

4. Their decisions are based on character, not feelings.

Mature people — students or adults — live by values. They have principles that guide their decisions. They are able to progress beyond merely reacting to life’s options, and be proactive as they live their lives. Their character is master over their emotions.

5. They express gratitude consistently.

I have found that the more I mature, the more grateful I am — for both big and little things. Immature children presume they deserve everything good that happens to them. Mature people see the big picture and realize how good they have it compared to most of the world’s population.

6. They prioritize others before themselves.

A wise man once said that a mature person is one whose agenda revolves around others, not self. Certainly this can go to an extreme and be unhealthy, but I believe a pathway out of childishness is to get past your own desires and beginning to live to meet the needs of others less fortunate.

7. They seek wisdom before acting.

Finally, a mature person is teachable. They don’t presume they have all the answers. The wiser they get, the more they realize they need more wisdom. They’re not ashamed of seeking counsel from adults (teachers, parents, coaches) or from God. Only the wise seek wisdom.

Based on this list, are you mature? How about your students?

Tim Elmore, the author of the Habitudes series, is the founder and president of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. For more information about Tim or Growing Leaders, visit www.growingleaders.com.

Whether your Convention plans include a family vacation at the Gaylord Palms, a “Girls Weekend Away” or driving to the event each day, it’s time to start packing your bags.

We asked our team of FPEA Ambassadors to share some of their favorite tips for preparing for Convention.  Together our FPEA Ambassadors have more than 70 years of Convention experience under their belts so they were happy to pass along some of their favorite ideas.

This handy packing list is also available for download as a pdf file here: FPEA – Packing List

What other tips can you share as everyone begins packing for the 25th FPEA Homeschool Convention?

Headaches, fatigue, backache … oh, the common symptoms of pregnancy. Or could they be the symptoms of the homeschooling mom? Perhaps both? Imagine dealing with pregnancy — a pregnancy filled with complications — and homeschooling too. Then lo and behold, you have a baby to contend with while homeschooling older children. Many of us have been there, but then there are those who are there right now, or are thinking about being there. What should you do? Is it hard? Is it easy? How stressful will it be?

I talked to three homeschooling moms and I asked them about their situations and how they handled them.

Cindy has four children and just gave birth in February. She has only been homeschooling the oldest since January 2011.This is full of many complications. She has been trying to get herself organized and get her son “unschooled,” which has been very difficult for her. She gets tired very easily, as I’m sure all moms can relate to, and doesn’t feel up to the task of homeschooling. At times she is ready to pack James up and send him back to school. She doesn’t, though, because she knows he needs and deserves only the best education.

Her advice is to do what you can do on the days you feel good, avoid overdoing it and let your kids know how you’re feeling. Be honest with them, because they can help. Most kids are old enough to help with the everyday tasks needed to run a household.

Stephanie has homeschooled her daughters Shelby (12) and Rebecca (8) all their lives. She gave birth to her third daughter, Lilianne, in June. Her pregnancy was filled with many difficulties. She had gestational diabetes, along with all the other symptoms that go along with being pregnant. She had to monitor her numbers while also having to log her older children’s schoolwork. Her secret was to get a rhythm down and get her blood sugar under control. Once she did that, she was finally able She told me it was challenging when she had to log her numbers while also having to log her older children’s schoolwork. Her secret was to get a rhythm down and get her blood sugar under control. Once she did that, she was finally able to concentrate again on the joy of pregnancy and homeschooling.

While she was pregnant, her girls watched educational television and listened to books on CD. This was something they could do in the car on the way to the many doctor’s appointments. They also did coloring pages. I also remember her telling me that they did much of their schoolwork in the bedroom with her while she rested. Also, getting her husband involved with the schooling helped immensely. He would take over once he got home from work. When the baby came, and their whole routine was in shambles again, they learned to do much of their work while Lilianne napped. But as we all know, babies sometimes tend to have their own schedule. So on the days when Lilianne was awake, the work would take a little longer. As long as the work got done, Stephanie tried not to stress too much.

Her advice to all pregnant moms and new moms is to take a deep breath. Things don’t have to get done on certain days, as long as they get done. And last, but not least, don’t sweat the small stuff. As long as they are learning something — anything — you are doing your job.

Laurie has four kids — Jennifer (12), Barbara Ann (10), Emily (6) and Will (20 months). She has homeschooled them all their lives. Like Stephanie, she had gestational diabetes when her fourth child was born. She also suffered from morning sickness all the time — morning, noon and night.

Since she now has to homeschool with a toddler running about, it makes for a challenging day. She manages to occupy Will with plenty of toys, and the girls help quite a bit. She has a very interesting way of getting the girls involved. Two of the girls take turns playing with Will and reading to him while the others do their work, then they switch off.

Her advice to moms is to be patient — with your kids and yourself. Nothing will ever work out the way you plan, so you just have to go with the flow.

I really enjoyed talking to these three moms and understanding their experiences. I have been there too, but my oldest was still in kindergarten when my third was born. His schoolwork was still pretty simple, and with his attention span, school didn’t last long. I did many of the same things these moms suggested, such as working during the baby’s morning nap or while he was nursing.

So if you’re about to have another child, or thinking about it, you might be wondering how you’ll manage pregnancy and homeschooling … and then, a new baby! I invite you to take the advice of these experienced moms and be relaxed in knowing that your homeschool can be just as successful. It can be filled with the same joy and excitement as the arrival of the child you’re carrying.

By Melinda Winn, Cape Coral, District 11.  Melinda has always homeschooled her three boys, ages 10, 8, and 4. She can be contacted at gatordawg95@comcast.net.

Many moms (and dads) have encouraged and supported me in homeschooling. But two mentoring experiences have greatly influenced me during my 16-year adventure in home education.

First, I vividly remember sitting in the kitchen of a veteran homeschool mom as I grilled her with my three-page written list of questions as I contemplated educational choices for my then-4-year-old. Other parents told me it was just kindergarten and that I needed to relax, but I remember thinking they must not value education as much as I did. Of course, after completing that first year of homeschooling, I was telling mothers similar things — it really wasn’t as hard as we feared and was in fact quite doable.

The next picture I carry with me happened several years later, when my oldest was in sixth grade. I eagerly attended a local support group meeting where a veteran homeschool mom of four high school–age and college-age boys gladly expounded on what parents need to know about homeschooling during high school. I remember this mother also telling us that with thoughtful preparation, high school did not have to be a big, scary, awful thing. I found myself thinking that if she could do it, I probably could too.

We parents tend to worry that we aren’t doing enough, or we aren’t preparing our children well — you know the drill. Today when I counsel those thinking about homeschooling during the high school years, and now that my oldest is in nursing school, I find myself saying, “Relax — most of the things you worry about never happen.” With that in mind, here are some of the things I share when leading FPEA High School 101 orientations.

First off, I start by asking everyone to remember the feelings they had when they first began homeschooling. Then I ask them to recall how they feel now about all those issues they worried about way back then. I tell them it’s the same way with high school — you start out with the same trepidation and end with telling everyone that it really wasn’t that hard. Just like when you first started, there is new vocabulary and vernacular to get used to, but before you know it, you will be a pro. With other local moms, the Guide to Homeschooling in Florida, FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention workshops and a few well-chosen resource books, I knew I had the information that would guide me along the way.

Whether your child is in middle school and you’re looking ahead, or you’re just starting ninth grade, each family has four basic decisions to make about high school. It may seem overly simplified, but the first decision is whether or not you will continue to educate at home. Individual families must make the decisions that are best for them, but don’t make your decision based on fear, because as I’ve already said, a large percentage of what we fear never occurs, and there are plenty of people and resources to help us. Life is unexpected and we can’t predict the future, but if at all possible, one should try to do the high school years in a single setting. Going from home into public or private school, one must be aware of the amount and type of credits required to graduate with one’s peers. If going into public school from home, an important resource is a Technical Assistance Paper “Transfer of Credits Guidelines,” found at www.floridaschoolchoice.org. Going from public or private to home is probably easier, but one still must closely watch eligibility rules and deadlines, especially when dealing with the Bright Futures Scholarship.

Another thing to think about is what method of education to use during the high school years. Just because your child has started higher education does not mean you should change what has previously worked well. All methods of education, even those less formal, can be translated into a high school transcript (and I highly recommend that each high school student have a transcript, whether they plan on college or not.) There are many resources to help with documentation of a formal transcript or portfolio. I remind parents that those pioneer homeschool families that were being recruited by Ivy League schools did not use textbooks, because no one would sell to them back then. They got into college and continue to get into college because they don’t look like everyone else — they’re unique, involved in a variety of interesting pursuits and passions. So don’t think you have to change to an all-textbook approach just because you’re starting high school, unless it meets the goals and needs of your particular child.

The third decision to be made is whether or not to follow the home education law and register with the superintendent or follow the private school law and register with a nontraditional private school. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, roughly 60 percent of Florida homeschoolers register with the county and 40 percent with a nontraditional private school. There are pros and cons of both choices. For some, this choice will boil down to whether or not they want a parent-generated transcript and diploma. For others it will depend on the costs and flexibility of one program over the other. Again, there isn’t a right way or a wrong way, only what is best for your family and your child. Just don’t let anyone scare you into thinking your child can’t succeed because he or she doesn’t have an “official” diploma and transcript.

The last thing to consider, but probably the most important, is what future you are preparing this child for. You’ll be structuring your high school years around this. It’s best to start your planning with the end in mind. For example, if you know your child wants to go to Georgia Tech and major in engineering, what type of educational experiences are required to get there? Is your child interested in college, or does she have the aptitude for a trade school, is he better suited to entrepreneurial activities, or is an apprenticeship or the military in the future? Or is your child not sure? In our home, we started by identifying what we knew our child didn’t like and then focused in on where her giftings, skills and interests lay. Extracurricular options also help in determining a child’s future plans.

In preparing for the high school years there are at least four basic questions to answer: whether to educate at home or not, the educational method to pursue, a method of accountability to use and what future to prepare for. Generally speaking, the more time one has to look into these choices, the better choices one makes. Fellow homeschool parents are an excellent source of information — they are real people who have been there and done that, and can share the good and the bad. So come by the Mentoring Moms booth at the Convention to talk with veteran moms, bolster your courage, brainstorm together, get ideas and get answers to your questions.

FPEA District Directors will present these and other insights during the High School 101 orientation/ workshop at the 25th annual FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention.

By Kim Coley. Kim served as FPEA District 5 Director for five years.