Freedom and Respect

Choices - At IDEA we believe that you know your child best. We are here to help you with the educational end of things, but you know what makes your child tick better than we ever will! We partner with you as you make the educational decisions that are best for your child. We have working relationships with over 300 companies that supply curricular materials to homeschoolers. We provide as much help and support as you need in making decisions about what materials to order and what teaching methods to use, but the education of each and every child in IDEA is totally individualized. Here are some of the choices available in IDEA:

• Whether to purchase a curriculum package (with the main academic subjects all covered) or mix-and-match materials from different vendors for different subjects.
• Whether to order complete courses with answer keys and/or outside grading, or to create your own course using the standards and a variety of materials that you select yourself.
• Whether to include some outside instruction in an area of interest for your child or not.
• Whether to use a curriculum based on textbooks, literature ("living books"), hands-on, or a mixture of these.
• How much to use free, online targeted instruction ("Skills Alaska") to identify and address any "learning gaps" in reading, language arts, and math.
• Whether to participate in workshops, field trips, and other learning opportunities with other IDEA families.

Allotment Funds - An allotment is money that is set aside for your child's educational needs. The allotment amount is $1600 for grades K-3, $1800 for grades 4-8, and $2000 for grades 9-12. If you are enrolling older children, you may also enroll a child who is age 4 by September 1st of the current school year. We receive no state funding for these younger students, but we recognize that 4-year-olds often are learning along with their older siblings, and we therefore provide a nominal allotment of $200 for a preschooler. This money may be spent on a wide range of materials and/or activities as long as they meet your student's educational needs:

• Textbooks and workbooks
• School supplies: notebooks, paper, pens and pencils, rulers, whiteboards and markers, etc.
• Literature, dictionaries, thesauruses, poetry, etc.
• Social studies materials: globes, maps, timelines, atlases, etc.
• Math manipulatives: flash cards, base ten blocks, teddy bear counters, protractors and compasses, calculators, etc.
• Science supplies: experiment kits, dissection materials, microscope slides, etc.
• Guided instruction: swimming instruction, piano instruction, weekly science clubs, etc.
• Field trips: museums, art galleries, science museums, etc.

Parent Advisory Council (PAC) - Some parents volunteer to be part of the local Parent Advisory Council. They serve as "sounding boards" for new ideas, provide input on things that work and things that don't, and plan some local activities and events. The Galena School Board brings a representative for each of the five PACs to Galena each year to learn more about the district and to meet with them in person.

Click on the links to the left to discover more benefits of IDEA enrollment!