Home Life News – Summertime is Here!

     There have been many inquiries regarding the Pending Approval and Pending Grades statuses on accounts.  Please do not worry; if your account is in Pending Approval or Pending Grades, we have received your registration and your payment for the upcoming school year.All accounts that have registered will go through Pending Approval to be reviewed for grades and attendance, updated student grade levels, and an updated education plan for the new year.  If any of these items are missing, your account will be moved to Pending Grades and will remain here until all of the above items are reported.Also, remember that HomeLife Academy is as flexible as we have always been; we are just looking for communication with our families so that we can better serve them.  If there is a reason you are unable to complete your reporting, please let us know and we will be happy to note your account and possibly expedite your approval. Keep in mind that you can report the grades that you have so far and update the others as the summer coursework is completed.

If you have reported all of these items (grades, attendance, education plan, and grade levels), please feel free to contact us to expedite your approval and receive your Confirmation of Enrollment and Teacher Verification; otherwise please be patient as we work through all of our families and know that we have got you covered. Thanks so much for allowing us to serve your family.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative, as it is now called, is a set of academic standards establishing the minimum basic content that students should be taught and at approximately what grade level they should be taught in English Language Arts and Math for grades K-12.  Science standards are currently being developed as well.  The intent is adoption by all states creating a “common” set of standards for all students “regardless of zip code.”  Preparing graduates for continued education beyond high school that will ultimately be competitive in the global workforce is their goal.It began in 2007 when the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded an initiative to develop “American standards” for U.S. schools.  The National Governors Association (NGA), the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) and Achieve joined together for the development and implementation of the standards. It has been billed as a state-driven initiative; however, many have argued that the financial incentives from the federal government through the Race to the Top competition and No Child Left Behind waivers amounts to coercion, at best, and a mandate, at worst, which would effectively federalize education in the U.S.Continued…