by guest blogger Sarah Hicks, February 2022
This morning I went online to order our family’s annual standardized tests. They were not available. When I called the company, the kind associate confirmed that the test we have used since our first year of homeschool really is no longer available. My heart sank. I considered calling my homeschool mentor, but I wasn’t sure if she would be up-to-date with this change since all of her kids have graduated. I considered asking my homeschool support group, but I don’t really have time for hearsay. I needed to know the laws and what my choices were; I needed information that was trustworthy, current, and convenient. That’s why I turned to NCHE.
When I visited the NCHE website, I easily found the Helps tab and scrolled down to find Testing and Testing Services. I read the laws and found the accepted tests for our state. Then I was able to search for those tests online. I recognized one of the providers from an advertisement in GREENHOUSE magazine, and that gave me confidence that I could trust them. Because of NCHE, I quickly and efficiently found everything I needed in less than 5 minutes. This gave me great relief!
My takeaway is this challenge:
- Become an NCHE member. The work that NCHE does on behalf of home educators is invaluable. They protect our homeschool freedoms. They equip us with homeschool information, and they help us stay connected with one another. No other organization in North Carolina provides this much for home educators. Your membership makes this possible.
- Tell others about NCHE. It’s that simple. When you’re out and about, and you are conversing with others, tell them about NCHE’s work. Whether they are homeschooling or not, you promote a positive image of home education when you tell people how informed, how organized, and how caring homeschool parents are. If you feel less confident sharing, you can ask NCHE to send a regional liaison to come and speak or set up a table at your next event.
- Support the NCHE mission. I’m not a salesperson, but I’m just going to lay it out there: home educators need to donate their time, their talent, and their treasure to NCHE so that we can preserve the freedoms we cherish. Make a donation, volunteer your time to serve at the Thrive! Conference, or contribute your comments on NCHE online Facebook support groups.
Today, NCHE lived up to their promise to help me “homeschool with confidence and joy”﹣just as they have been doing since 1984, and just like they will continue to do with your help.
Our guest blogger Sarah Hicks is an NCHE member from region 5. She previously served as NCHE’s media manager and editor of the GREENHOUSE magazine. She hopes you are able to attend the Thrive! Conference.
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