Flagstaff Home Educators Policies and Guidelines

I. Purpose

Flagstaff Home Educators is a Christian support group in Flagstaff, Arizona for families who have chosen to educate their own children without government intervention, oversight, or control. We operate from a Christian perspective and make decisions from the ethical and moral standards established in the Bible.

Our main objectives are to provide family activities, informative parent meetings and social/academic events for children. We encourage our parent-teachers to be informed of and adhere to Arizona laws regarding homeschooling and to support those organizations which protect the right to home educate in the state of Arizona (i.e. AFHE and HSLDA).

II. Membership

Requirements for membership are:

A.     Each family must read the FHE Policies & Guidelines and agree to follow said policies and guidelines.

B.     A member family must be homeschooling at least one child, as defined by the definitions of homeschooling on the AFHE website.[1]

C.    Tiered memberships are available for member families who have other children enrolled in any public or private school programs including virtual charter schools.

D.    A Member Profile Form must be submitted. This provides the group with information about your family. Please fill this form out in its entirety. This information will not be shared with anyone other than group members (see Communication).  If your mailing information or membership status changes during the year, please inform the Membership Coordinator.

E.     Returning Members:  registration and payment will take place at the mandatory May town hall meeting.  Dues are $30 for the entire school year (June through May).

F.     New Members (those who are new to homeschooling or have just moved to Flagstaff or homeschooling families who were not FHE members during the last 12 months) may join at the May, September or January meeting. Dues will be $30.     

G.    At the September meeting, registered families will receive their membership card and one membership roster.

H.     As a volunteer organization we rely on our membership for the functioning of the group. The participating parent(s) are required to take at least one job responsibility related to the functioning of the group. The Board members of Flagstaff Home Educators have compiled a list of committees and needs required for the functioning of the group. If you would like to see other volunteer opportunities added, please submit your suggestion to the Board.

I.         All members shall conduct themselves in a professional, courteous and Biblical manner.  Members are to respect and cooperate with all other members.

J.      Members are to cooperate and respect the authority of those leading an event or activity.

K.     All members are to adhere to the decisions made by the Board of Directors.  All decisions by the Board of Directors are final.

L.      Any conduct that falls below the standards expressed in the Policies & Guidelines may lead to revocation of membership at the Board’s discretion.

III. Events

A.     FHE sponsored events are those events which are approved by the Board and are listed on the Job Barn.  They include field trips that a member signs up for (as a job) at the time of membership enrollment.  A non-FHE event is any event or field trip that has not been approved by the Board.  FHE is not responsible for any non-FHE event.

B.     Guidelines for planning FHE sponsored events:

·        Contact the appropriate Coordinator (refer to the attached Job Barn).  Depending on the event category, members will need to e-mail/call either the Social Coordinator, Education Coordinator or Field Trip Coordinator to get the event date approved and give specific information regarding the event (description, time, location, age group, cost etc…).

·        Send a notice on the Yahoo! Group.  After the event date has been approved, an e-mail may be sent out to the group announcing the event only.  Sign-ups for all events will take place at the monthly meetings.  It is suggested that events be planned at least 2 months in advance.

·        Attend monthly meetings for sign-ups.  Bring a sign-up sheet to the 2 monthly meetings prior to the scheduled event to take sign-ups and collect money (if a fee is required).  Sign-ups should be taken at the meetings between 6:30 and 7:00.

·        Send another notice on the Yahoo! Group (optional).  If you still have space available after taking sign-ups at the meetings, you may send an e-mail to the group indicating the time(s) and date(s) available and invite members to respond via Yahoo! Group, personal e-mail or telephone.

C.    Guidelines for non-FHE events (any event not listed on the Job Barn).  Members who would like to plan an event in addition to the job they have signed up to do for the year, may do so by doing one of the following:

·        Get the event approved as an FHE sponsored event.  E-mail/call the appropriate Coordinator (Social, Education or Field Trip) with specific information about your event.  Once the event is approved by the Board, you will need to follow the guidelines outlined above (Events, Section B), or you may;

·        Plan the event as a non-FHE event.  You may plan this event by contacting others via personal e-mail or telephone only.  DO NOT USE the FHE Yahoo! Group to announce or plan this event.

D.    Guidelines for attending an event:

·        Arrive on time for events.  Events will not be held for late arrivals.  Do not expect an event to start late to accommodate late arrivals.

·        Some activities have a fee. Please come with exact change in cash in an envelope with participant’s names clearly listed on the outside.

·        Check your e-mail for last minute details and event changes.

·        Dress appropriately. Many styles today are not modest, but let us seek modesty when we come together.

·        Events are for FHE members only unless otherwise specified.

·        Be sure to RSVP by the date given.  It is mandatory that you sign up for the events in which you wish to participate so the event planner knows to expect you.  If a fee is required, you must pay the fee in order to be considered “signed up.”  Sign ups will be available at the monthly meetings.

·        Respect people and property.

E.     LET'S MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION. DO CONSIDER THAT OUR ACTIONS REFLECT NOT ONLY ON OUR GROUP, BUT ON HOME SCHOOLERS IN GENERAL. It is your responsibility to ensure that your child maintains proper behavior during a field trip or while attending any other activity. Such behavior includes listening to and obeying instructions, respecting the facilities being visited, respecting the other adults and children present and staying with the group. If you do not accompany your child for an event, another adult must accompany and accept responsibility for the child. If discipline problems arise, your child will promptly be taken out of the activity and the teaching parent and the child will be required to meet with the Board.

IV. Meetings

A.     One town hall meeting will be held in May, which is set aside for membership renewal.  IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER TO SCHEDULE A MEETING TO REVIEW ALL POLICIES AND GUIDELINES, SIGN UP FOR A JOB, AND PAY DUES.

B.     Support Group meetings are held each month, September through May, except for December. Meetings are held on the second Friday of the month.   Additional meeting information is available on our brochure at the Information Table.

C.    Some monthly meetings are designed for family attendance while others are just for parents.  CHILDCARE IS NOT AVAILABLE.  We encourage families to attend; however, children must stay with the parent(s) in our designated meeting area(s) posted at the Information Table.

V. Communication

IT IS THE MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO STAY INFORMED.

A.     Event schedules will be published in the newsletter and on the Yahoo! Calendar and may be subject to change. As the event date draws closer, the information will be posted through the Yahoo! Group. ONLY EMERGENCY INFORMATION (SUCH AS A LAST MINUTE CANCELLATION) will be transmitted via telephone and then ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THAT EVENT will be notified. All other changes will run through the Yahoo! Group. Members who do not have access to e-mail will be notified by the event planner via telephone.

B.     A monthly newsletter is posted on the Yahoo! Group site and is also sent via e-mail.  It is posted at the beginning of the month and will include meeting information, field trips, educational events, and the Members’ Network area.  All submissions to the newsletter must have Board approval and need to be turned into the Newsletter Coordinator by the last day of the month.

C.    The Members’ Network area of the newsletter may include such things as advertising lessons, curriculum, home-based business, or other school-related items.  This area is for members only.

D.    The FHE Yahoo! Group is for members' postings ONLY. No business (home-based or otherwise) may be advertised on the Yahoo! Group. No other solicitations will be permitted. Members are encouraged to communicate information or opportunities that might benefit homeschooling families. No political items may be posted, unless they directly pertain to home education. THERE IS TO BE NO FORWARDING OF POSTINGS TO NON-MEMBERS.

E.     All Yahoo! Group postings MUST have a subject line that states content (i.e. "Books for Sale", "Park Day Change", "Prayer Request", etc…)

F.     Members may post a community event “one time” on the Yahoo! Group that is within FHE Policies and Guidelines without Board approval, such as announcements for plays, workshops, or concerts.  If in doubt, contact a Board member for approval before posting.

G.    A roster of FHE members will be available at the September meeting and on the Yahoo! Group.  Any revisions which take place during the year can be found on the Yahoo! Group site.  This roster is for member use ONLY. It is not to be shared outside of the FHE group, used for mailing lists, political purposes, sales or any other unauthorized purpose.

H.     FHE members may list their occupation or home-based business on the Yahoo! Group personal profile area if they would like to make their services known to other members. FHE will not be responsible for any business transactions nor will be held liable, financially or otherwise, for any business listed. Listing any business on the roster does NOT indicate endorsement. The Board Members reserve the right to remove any name/business from the list for any reason. 

I.         Mentor Program-If you are interested in being paired up with a veteran homeschool parent for extra support, or in being a mentor to a new home educator, you can find information on the Yahoo! Group site.

VI. Board of Directors

A.     Board positions are offered by invitation only. Anyone interested in serving on the board may make their wishes known to the current Board. They must be willing to serve for a minimum of 2 years, be a professing Christian, and must sign our statement of faith.

B.     The Board has the responsibility and authority to establish and revise policies, and to approve or deny membership, jobs, activities and anything else pertinent to the operation of this organization.

VII. Statement of Faith