It was with the support of their local school principal that Ken and Marlane Noster brought home their eldest child, half way through grade 3. The superintendent threatened to charge them with truancy. The late 80’s were rife with inconsistencies in treatment of home schoolers.
In response to the first Alberta Home Education Regulation of 1989, Ken was invited to help a school board develop its program for administrating home schooling. He and Marlane began to pray for an answer to two burning questions: how can a board designed to administrate schools administrate home schooling? and what am I being called to do?
Both at home and in the homes of others they noted that learning was more enjoyable and effective when parents didn’t try to emulate schools. Everything from planning to evaluation needed to be different, but administrators remained leery of the differences.
In 1995, the answer to both questions converged: It was evident that provincial administration and that of local boards would not readily change. Institutional schooling was the norm, and all decisions would be made accordingly. Clearly, in order to serve the needs of home schoolers, an administration designed just for that purpose would have to be fashioned. Ken tried to convince various associates in educational administration that they should commence upon such a project. He even did the research for them, and laid out the strengths and the stumbling blocks. Nobody felt called to respond.
Then came the answer to the second question, “what am I being called to do?” An extended conversation with home schooling friends clarified the call: “Ken, it’s time to do it yourself.” Ken had wanted to farm, not administrate, but the call was undeniable, and he returned home to have it confirmed by Marlane, who immediately gave this new administration its name. She said, “wisdom is the purpose of all our efforts as parents, so that should be the name of this new means of achieving it.”
WISDOM began that Summer by virtue of a series of affirmations and open doors, especially the prayerful response of Richard and Margaret Schienbein of Trinity Christian School, the umbrella under which WISDOM would be able to operate for the next 25 years. There would be many challenges in the months and years ahead, but one clear beacon kept WISDOM true to its purpose and clear in its response. The beacon was the knowledge that WISDOM did not belong to anyone involved in its inception or its operation, WISDOM belonged to its author. The Lord had prepared his workers and clearly indicated the time to begin. He would protect what was his as long as he required it to exist.