Focus Homeschool of Anchorage Empowers Students and Parents

FOCUS Homeschool provides an elementary and secondary instructional model to students in Alaska who do not have access to school, to students whose families are traveling, or to families who prefer to provide instruction at home.

We believe in meeting the individual needs of each student in a holistic and applied manner. It is essential that parents, students, and the community accept joint responsibility in the education of students. The role of parents as the primary educators of their children is valued and encouraged by FOCUS Homeschool.

In 1994, our advisory teacher responded to the plea of families residing outside of our school district’s boundaries and extended her boat and plane rides to include them in her family visits. Cordova School District requested Chugach’s help in providing educational support to these homeschool families who resided within their boundaries but out of their reach. In 1997, the Alaska State Department of Education recognized the value of allowing districts to cooperate in order to meet the academic needs of students by allowing districts to enroll homeschool students outside of their boundaries. Thus began the current model from which thousands of Alaskan students benefit. It is a model that began in a spirit of cooperation and respect for home education and as a way to meet the needs of Alaskan students.

Today, our mission is to develop and support partnerships with parents and communities, with each sharing the responsibility of providing students with the highest quality educational experience possible. We especially value the role of parents as the primary teachers of their children. Outreach services are provided to families within and beyond our school district boundaries through our innovative program. We provide homeschooling opportunities through a unique, performance-based approach that meets the individual needs of each child.
Our “focus” has never been on how big our program is or how many students we enroll. We don’t see our students as numbers; we feel that each individual student is important. Our families receive prompt, personal attention, flexibility in meeting their individual needs, and support in pursuing specific enrichment opportunities that ensure each student’s success. As we consistently support a student to advisory teacher ratio of less than 50:1, our “focus” is on our students’ and families’ needs.

http://focushomeschool.org/