It’s a Monday morning. Children at Excelsior Classical Homeschool Academy in Paradise Valley, Arizona, have gathered for school.
Held in a local church, the students of varying ages come wearing uniforms. It’s a gathering time for students, parents, administrators, and teachers: a time to get back on track with their educational goals and the curriculum for that week, see how everyone is doing, connect and enjoy community, and be strong together.
For the remainder of the week, children will continue their studies at home under the supervision of their parents or guardians. The school uses the award-winning Memoria Press Classical Core Curriculum, a complete classical Christian curriculum that emphasizes language and mathematics. Great works of history and literature are also included, along with church history, Latin, and the cultures of Athens and Rome.
At other times, students come together for special events and activities. For example, the Cardinals Nature Club meets every other Friday to savor the outdoors by going on hikes, visiting farms, observing nature, or birding at the preserves. Meanwhile, the Cardinals Culture Club meets monthly to attend local ballets, symphonies, or museums.
Parents are in the driver’s seat. At this school, they share a common belief that parents are in the best position to raise and see to their children’s education—not just in terms of academics, but also character development and a path in life anchored in faith. And, at the end of the day, students are prepared to enter college and do well.
There is no one recipe for how homeschooling should be structured. Depending on the ingredients, it comes in different flavors. It can be tailored to meet the needs of individual parents or a small group of like-minded parents.
In the Beginning
“We always knew that we wanted to homeschool,” said founder and headmistress Pauline Abello, who is also the director and teaches at the school. Married nearly 17 years to her husband, Derek, they homeschool all of their seven children, ranging in age from 4 to 16.“Neither of us had great public-school experiences ... it wasn’t the teachers so much as the bullying ... negative peer encounters,” Abello said. “We didn’t want our children to experience the same.”
Other parents felt likewise, and they connected. They created a homeschool community for classical educators.
Excelsior started in 2019 with six families and 12 children. Nearly four years later, there are 28 families and 80 children. Classes are intentionally small; most cap at eight. And, for some classes, there are waiting lists.
“We’re always tweaking, learning, and growing ... there are so many ways to homeschool,” Abello said. She feels blessed to have a group of teachers (many of them parents) who are highly educated and come with a variety of different skill sets. “We pool talents and it allows us to bring excitement and life into the curriculum.”
To say that Abello is passionate about what she has undertaken is an understatement. For her, it is beyond a business. It’s a calling and a ministry to travel with other parents as they raise up another generation of children who are exposed to the classics, can think critically, and will know and defend their Christian faith.
Teaching to the Test
In order to receive federal funding, states administer a variety of standardized testing in public schools. Parents typically want their children to do well, and assessing test results is one measure. Rigid testing also requires stamina on the part of students, teachers, and administrators.Some critics of rigid standardized testing argue that teachers have eliminated more of the fun or creative lessons to concentrate on what they know will be on the test. They are as stressed as the students because their assessment as teachers is often based on how well their students do on these tests. And for administrators, state accreditation is tied to test results.
Legally classified as homeschoolers and with education primarily handled by parents, Excelsior doesn’t receive any government funds or tax dollars. Is there a better way than standardized tests to see results?
For homeschoolers at Excelsior, formal testing doesn’t begin until the later grades.
“Most of the students are college-minded, so there is preparation for the SATs,” Abello said, “but it starts later.”
For the earlier grades, other methods are employed to gauge whether the student is grasping the material.
“We do a lot of narrations and recitations, as opposed to rote testing.”
Abello adheres to a gentler approach, asking “Tell me what you’ve learned” rather than a list of questions.
“We’re a little bit different,“ she said. ”We’re navigating those waters in a unique way.”
Abello emphasized that “there are all different kinds of students and all different ways to learn.”
She is joyous that, because of their cottage school’s small size and intimacy, they can be flexible, flow more easily, and be more attuned to individual student needs.
“Some kids just need more wiggle room,” she laughed, mentioning one young student who prefers reading Shakespeare in the sunshine.
Price of Homeschooling
When a family comes to Abello wanting to learn more about the education methods at Excelsior, she is more than willing to share its positive results and the benefits to be had from a close-knit community that offers a classical, Christian curriculum. It requires effort on the part of the parents, but many believe it to be well worth the cost.“These parents really care about their kids ... there are sacrifices,” Abello said, explaining that the parents’ decisions are made for a reason.
However, this education option shouldn’t be taken off the table too quickly. Arizona has a strong homeschooling network; families receive aid as needed through various homeschool scholarships and grants available through national and local Arizona chapters of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
“We keep it very affordable,” Abello said of the tuition, which is less than $500 per year for families with actively participating parents. For drop-offs, the tuition is higher.
Uniforms worn in the classrooms are patterned after the school’s and state’s colors, and also made affordable. Abello wanted to add a sense of formality, “If something is important, we dress the part.”
All Eyes on Arizona
In July, Gov. Doug Ducey signed H.B. 2853 to expand the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. It will go into effect on Sept. 24.The passage of this bill is a huge step forward for school choice in Arizona. Essentially, the legislation opens to all parents the opportunity to receive state credit ($6,500–$7,000) per student, allowing them to educate their children as they wish—public, private, charter, Christian, or homeschool—and receive assistance for doing so.
Previously, only students falling into distinct niches could qualify. Now, it’s open to all.
The passage of the measure doesn’t affect current homeschoolers. Parents don’t have to apply if they choose not to, but government funds are available.
Since the monies can accrue (like a savings plan), funds could be used for in-state college or a private Christian college.
Looking Forward
Derek and Pauline Abello are entrepreneurs and educators. But above all, they are a faithful family.What they’ve created at Excelsior, they hope to see duplicated soon.
“We’re looking at a second campus,” she said. “Our enrollment is growing, but we want to grow slowly, keeping class size small.”
Abello is also open to expanding their model beyond Arizona. She’s very willing to share their success story with other parents.
It always comes back to family. As for herself, Abello is expecting baby No. 8 in December.
“We did this for our children. I love what I do.
