Committed to providing every student with a Christ-centered education AoE comes along side parents to equip students to be successful and influential in their families, community, and the world, discerning the truth of God’s Word in their lives.
How new are AoE and AoE Online? What grades do they serve?
AoE began offering K-7 classes at a conventional “brick and mortar” campus in August, 2012. AoE now has three brick and mortar campuses in Milwaukee with several hundred K-12 students enrolled.
Like other public, charter, and private schools, AoE launched its virtual “AoE Online” campus in 2020 during the COVID lockdowns. The model proved successful, and AoE Online now serves over 1,000 students statewide and accepts students grades K4 thru 12th grade.
Is AoE a public school or charter school?
No. A charter school is a form of public school. AoE is a private school that participates in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program.
As a private school, are AoE and its teachers accredited and certified?
AoE is accredited by, among other accrediting associations, the American Association of Christian Schools. AoE teachers are independently evaluated and certified in conjunction with the accreditation. While AoE teachers may also be state-certified, AoE benchmarks for faculty qualification are the AACS accreditation standards, subject matter expertise, and actual aptitude, experience and success teaching and working with students and parents.
Is AoE Online “homeschooling”? Are we still “homeschoolers” if we enroll our child in AoE?
No. “Homeschooling” is referred to in Wisconsin statutes as a “private home-based educational program.” Homeschooling is conducted solely by parents, who select the curriculum, provide direct instruction, grade their children’s work, and are responsible for all aspects of the children’s education.
AoE Online is significantly different than “homeschooling.” AoE is an accredited private school with a dedicated team of teachers and administrators, and while parents may be significantly involved in a student’s educational program, AoE administration, faculty, and staff are ultimately responsible for, direct, and provide the student’s learning experience. AoE teachers control and are responsible for instruction, assessment, and reporting to AoE Online administration.
Students admitted to AoE and their parents first meet with an AoE intake specialist. Based on the interview and academic assessment administered by the specialist, each student is placed with an AoE teacher. The teacher then works with parents and AoE administration to develop an individualized learning plan for the student, which is the basis for instruction and progress assessment throughout the academic year.
AoE Online is powered by approved curriculum, provides direct instruction through each student’s AoE teacher, requires conventional attendance throughout the academic year, provides consistent oversight and parental support, and assesses student progress through teacher grading and evaluation and standardized testing.
While many families appreciate the instruction, supervision, support, and accountability provided by AoE Online, it is not for everyone. Students who consistently fail to progress and meet academic benchmarks may be best served by a different academic experience.
Do I still need to file a PI-1206?
No. By enrolling in AoE, your child is enrolled in a (virtual) private school. This means the student is no longer enrolled in a “private home-based educational program.”
No. As an AoE Online student, your child is enrolled in a private school – you do not file a PI-1206 with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (That form is only for students filing as enrolled in a private home-based educational program.) Instead, AoE submits a PI-1207 (private school enrollment report) to the Department that will include your child as an AoE student.
