"Helping families to home school in knowledge and confidence."

Limited openings for the 2012-2013 school year are available. 
To inquire, please visit our Maryland link and send all of the information requested.
No new Pennsylvania families are being accepted for 2011-2012 or 2012-2013.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tickets for the 2012 Red Carpet Gala are now on sale! 
See details and obtain registration form below.

Welcome to The Excelsior Academy! 

As always, the spring semester seems to arrive much faster than anticipated as we look toward the completion of another school year. TEA's spring activities will cap off your busy, productive year -- all of our families are heartily invited to participate in our group events. Annual reviews are also starting, so there is much to plan for in the months leading up to the warm, sunny days of summer! Our teens have more opportunities to meet with their TEA friends in a variety of fun settings. Be sure to check your newsletters and put those dates on your calendar now .... please don't miss those registration deadlines!

Wendy J. Bush, Director

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The Excelsior Academy (TEA) serves families who are home schooling their children, primarily in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. TEA also works with families living overseas who want to comply with their state's homeschool provisions and obtain documentation of their students' work. TEA is a nonpublic entity registered with the Maryland State Department of Education to supervise the education of students enrolled in home education programs.

In addition to enabling families to comply with the legal requirements of their state of residence, TEA provides knowledgeable consultation, curriculum planning, support, and problem-solving to parents and students in their home education endeavor. High school diplomas and transcripts are awarded to students who meet the graduation requirements set forth by their state education agency for homeschool students and The Excelsior Academy. TEA also hosts the Historic Gettysburg Home School Graduation Ceremony to recognize its seniors each June.

Maryland families can choose from three enrollment options depending on their needs and homeschool experience. Newly-enrolling families must select either option one or two at least for their first year in our organization. TEA also offers an Associate Member option for families who want to take advantage of TEA's support services, especially its high school and college resources, but receive their review and legal oversight from their county board of education or another oversight program. Contact TEA for more information on the Associate Member option and visit our Maryland Services link.

TEA Executive Director Wendy J. Bush has worked in the home education field for over twenty-five years and served thousands of students. Her passions are helping families to find the best methods for educating their children and counseling teens in their college and career decision-making. She has assisted hundreds of students in their college applications as their advisor and guidance counselor. Wendy is a former elementary and secondary teacher, journalist, legislative liaison, and state-level support group leader. She successfully home educated her children from kindergarten to graduation, with both receiving full scholarships and acceptance into the honors program of their first choice colleges. Her older son earned an LLM after receiving his J.D. and works as an Assistant District Attorney. Her younger son is in the third year of his J.D./Masters program. Both received academic scholarships for their J.D. studies.

High School and College Admissions Counseling:

High school and college admissions counseling services are TEA's specialties. TEA is a member of numerous education and college admissions organizations and works closely with students, parents and colleges to enable a successful transition from high school to college. Wendy has been a speaker at conferences of the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) and the Maryland Organization of Community College Registrars and Admissions Officers (MOCCRAO), and regularly works with colleagues in higher education.