The Mat-Su Borough School District has made diversity of education options for it students a high priority in recent years. One aspect of that diversity is helping homeschool parents integrate their students with options only available to students in brick and mortar schools in other areas.
Mat-Su Central is the homeschool program for the Mat-Su Borough School District and has just over 1600 students this year. Homeschooling offers another choice in education that many Upper Valley families prefer.
After speaking with a few Talkeetna families about why they have chosen homeschooling, the common response is that they want to spend more time together as a family.
Debbie Whitecar, who has one child at Talkeetna Elementary School and the other at home, likes the one-on-one teaching ratio.
“The homeschool takes a lot less time obviously because you are sitting there with one child and the one on one goes a lot quicker.”
Becky Moren is the North Valley Specialist for Mat-Su Central Homeschool Program. She says that flexibility of curriculum is another reason some parents choose to homeschool.
“The highlights of homeschooling are that you can dial into your individual child’s needs, whether that’s going ahead of maybe his or her grade level or maybe its needing to slow down and hit certain concepts in certain areas…you can really individual and personalize their curriculum based on what they need.”
She says that the curriculum is as wide and vast as you want it. While there are fundamental curriculum requirements and standardized testing for both types of education, the potential for electives for homeschoolers is limitless.
“Homeschoolers can personalize their child’s education whether that’s those who are fluent in German, they are taking foreign language, kiddos who delve into equine studies because they have horses, maybe another kiddo over here is delving into his gymnastic skills and maybe someone else might be exploring moving up in belts in martial arts.”
Sometimes parents may have to do their own homework on how to be better teachers for their children’s needs.
Debbie Whitecar says, “Now that my child is a getting a little bit older and maybe that’s the personality between the two, it’s definitely more challenging.
We like to stick to the lesson plans that Becky suggests and that has worked very well for us.”
Mat-Su Central students also have the option to take a few classes at Talkeetna Elementary or Su Valley High. That allows them to interact and socialize with their peers.
Debbie Whitecar’s daughter, Shelby goes to Talkeetna Elementary for special electives.
“She goes twice a week and she likes art, music, STEM and sports, PE.”
Becky Moren plays a diverse role for Mat-Su Central. She is the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, teacher at Talkeetna Elementary. She also serves as an advisor.
“But as the kids get older, my roles changes more into that of a counselor in preparing them for earning their credits towards that graduation diploma but as well as planning for life after high school, whether that’s a career tech path or a college or university path and making sure that their transcript is mapped.”
Some families choose to homeschool for only part of the year. The Burnside family values traveling with their kids as an education in geography and history. Once they return, the parents are putting the kids back on the school bus for Talkeetna Elementary for the second half of the year.
Third-grader Aliana Burnside isn’t too troubled by the transition.
“Well, I love literature. I love every special and all of the teachers are really nice. I am really happy that all of my friends are there and I like that I have more playdates.”
Between the traditional school environment and Mat-Su Central, there is no shortage of educational options for Upper Valley students and their families.
