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Would virtual school be a good fi t for your family?
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
Lately, we’ve been hearing more
and more about online school-
ing. Perhaps you have a child with
special needs, or one whose sports
schedule is so intense you need a
school experience with fl exibility.
Some parents of children who’ve
experience bullying or who have
health issues also may decide that
online schooling is the best op on.
Maybe you just want more family
me. Whatever the reason, the de-
cision of which program to use may
be daun ng.
Geƫ ng started
First, decide whether or not you
are looking for a religious or secular
program. Looking at your budget to
determine what you can aff ord will
help you choose between public
and private.
Second, think about what you
want your child’s schooling to look
like. Do you want him or her to do
all of it on the computer, or just
some of it? Maybe you feel com-
fortable teaching math, but would
like to expose her to a foreign lan-
guage. Do you travel a lot and need
the lessons to be in the form of
videos? Perhaps you’d rather your
student converse with an actual
teacher in real me. Some op ons
even have your child as a student
in an actual classroom, answering
ques ons and par cipa ng in class
discussions.
In Oregon, the homeschooling
laws are pre y lenient, but you
s ll will want to make sure that the
online program you use is accred-
ited, especially if your student is in
high school. Check to see who does
the grading, how report cards are
issued, and ask about a endance
requirements. They should let you
speak with the instructors as well.
Here are a few of the more
popular op ons:
• Connec ons Academy: This
secular site off ers K-12
tui on-free, fully
accredited online
public schooling
in many states,
as well as a
private fully ac-
credited college-
preparatory K-12
private school, available
to students everywhere. Visit
connec onsacademy.com.
• Baker Web Academy: Secular,
tui on-free program that of-
fers online and textbook-based
classes with teacher support
through technology and face-to-
face home visits. Visit bakerchar-
ters.org.
ous districts in Eastern Oregon, is
spearheading an online schooling
ini a ve in our area. The IMESD is
commi ng fi nancial,
human and techno-
logical resources
toward its suc-
cess. One of the
main goals is to
keep tax dollars
in-district while
mee ng the diverse
needs of the students.
Each district is structuring its
online experience in its own way.
Most larger districts will have an
online coordinator and all will have
teachers to monitor the students,
grade the papers, and answer ques-
ons. Chris Be neski, the main
online coordinator at the IMESD,
says that they are providing the
pla orm (called Canvas) and the
access to the learning management
system, Acellus. Acellus delivers the
curriculum in the form of canned
videos and programs.
Because each district is running
its own program, start dates will
diff er, as will the amount of fl exibil-
ity of the programs. Some will be
ready for all online, and some will
off er a combina on, so be sure to
check with your local district.
If you are looking for an alter-
na ve to completely tradi onal
school, online school may be just
the thing for your family.
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former middle
school teacher who lives in Pend-
leton with her husband and three
children.
• A Beka Academy: K-12 and col-
lege prep program featuring
high-quality video instruc on;
uses Chris an character-building
textbooks from A Beka Book.
Includes the op on to sit in on
live classes, ask ques ons, and
par cipate in discussions. Visit
Abekaacademy.org.
• Alpha Omega Academy: An ac-
credited online academy and
Chris an homeschool curricu-
lum for grades pre-K-12. Visit
Aoaacademy.com.
• K12: K-12 online educa on
off ers tui on-free public and
tui on-based private school-
ing with mul ple start dates
throughout the year. Full- and
part- me availability. Visit K12.
com.
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