Home Educators Association of Virginia
The Home Educators Association of Virginia was formed in 1983 as a non-profit organization with the hope of both preserving and promoting a parent’s right to educate their children in the comfort and safety of their own home. That same year a law was passed permitting homeschooling in the state of Virginia for the first time. Dr. Mary K. Clark, a witness at the legislative hearing pertaining to the new law, set up a card table just outside the hearing room and began forming a network of parents interested in an alternative to the public and private schoolroom. Home Educators Association of Virginia plays a central role in endorsing state legislation that will ensure the rights of Virginians with regard to home-schooling, as well as spirituality. For more than two decades the organization has been “committed to helping parents fulfill their God-given right and responsibility to educate their own children.”
Home Educators Association of Virginia provides options for those seeking alternatives to public or private classroom education. The organization operates according to a “biblical worldview,” but the organization is open to and accepting of all people regardless of their religious beliefs or practices. The governing board is made up of strong believers in the Bible, and all decisions are made according to scripture. The number of parents and children seeking religious exemption from attendance at school has risen dramatically. There are currently about 2,000 members of Home Educators Association of Virginia who currently serve approximately 26,000 homeschoolers within the state and many others across the country as well.
Home Educators Association of Virginia is supported entirely by their patrons, as well as other local homeschooling groups, all of which are in cooperation with one another through information sharing. Although most support groups, about half of which are religious, are located within the state of Virginia , the Home Educators Association also works with out-of -state home-schooling organizations. One example would be the National Challenged Homeschoolers Association Network. Like Home Educators Association of Virginia, this group’s goal is to promote the home-schooling of special needs children in “ways that glorify the Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Home Educators Association of Virginia serves homeschoolers within the state and across the country. The organization’s board of directors is not drawn from specific religious denominations, but its members are required to have a strong faith in, and knowledge of the Holy Bible. They must be prepared to analyze, and interpret scripture in order to make the best possible decisions. The staff consists of both full-time staff and volunteers.
The majority of Home Educators Association of Virginia’s funding comes from their annual three-day convention. Tickets are fifty-five dollars for members, who also pay an additional thirty-five dollar a year membership fee. Twenty dollar informational workshops are also held periodically throughout the year. The association prides itself on the fact that counseling is free for any parents interested in homeschooling their children. A free subscription to their magazine, The Virginia Home Educator , is also available online at the association’s website. To educate one’s child at home costs an average of five-hundred dollars a year, with costs for high-school level students somewhat higher. Although Home Educators Association of Virginia does not receive funding from religious congregations, many local church leaders strongly support the organization’s work.
Home Educators Association of Virginia
2248G Dabney Road
Richmond , VA 23230
(804)-278-9200
Sources:
Home Educators Association of Virginia official website
A Home Educators Association of Virginia representative
Profile prepared by Cory Chubb
February, 2008
