Overview of ACHEV – Part Two: What is our Purpose?
Please enjoy part two of a series first published in May, 2016.
Last month we covered a brief history of ACHEV’s formation in 1981 and eventual incorporation in 1998.
What is our purpose?
ACHEV’s purpose statement has been included on the front page of the monthly newsletter since the beginning:
We have gathered to support and encourage those who desire to privately educate their children at home. We have purposed that the organization and all its activities and publications will be consistently and forthrightly Christian, to the honor and glory of our Lord God.
That means we are not a school or a school program; we are a Christian support group for families who home school under the private school options allowed under the California Department of Education.
Membership: A family may join ACHEV if they homeschool at least one child at home at least 51% of the school week who is not enrolled in public school. Non-Christian families may join ACHEV with the understanding it is a Christian group and are expected to be respectful of our beliefs.
Statement of faith: ACHEV has adopted the CHEA Statement of Faith. Every officer and board member must sign the statement of faith. Members are made aware of the statement of faith, but are not required to sign it.
What won’t change?
- ACHEV will always have a statement of faith consistent with a biblical worldview.
- ACHEV will always support and uphold the right to home educate apart from the public school system. Our resources will be invested to minister to the private homeschool sector.
If we cease to be Christian or private, we cease to be ACHEV.
What can change?
- Activities and events come and go based on the needs of the group and the availability of volunteers. These gatherings are the heart of ACHEV. As our membership changes, what ACHEV offers may need to also change. For instance, we used to fill the rink every month for Skate Day! We had an extensive book and audio/visual borrowing library at this event. Then families became busy with other obligations, attendance dropped, and eventually, the event was discontinued. Now we offer an annual skate party instead. On the other hand, the dances started very small and have grown into 4 large annual events.
- Obviously there are some events and activities that can only be for ACHEV students, such as a Scripps national qualifying spelling bee, but there are several events and activities for families, which may include siblings who are not homeschooled, other homeschool groups, or guests.
- Officer job descriptions and duties may need to be updated periodically, or policies created or removed to respond to current realities or needs.
These are examples of the types of things that can change with the times without altering what ACHEV is.
Stay tuned next month for more! Next month – What is the structure of ACHEV?
