Quick questions on using virtual public schools

[DelKroemer]

Hi all,

I have been wanting to home school my girls (they are 3 1/2 and 5), but I tried doing so and I am terribly unorganized, not all that great at being the completely in control teacher person (when it comes to planning, grading stuff, etc) so I thought this might be the way to go.

However, I have read that children with certain conditions (whether medical or something else) take priority in getting into these virtual public schools and they seem to have a seriously limited number of students they can enroll. Are they very difficult to get into? I really don't see myself being able to "homeschool" any other way. Not forever anyways. Also, we are definitely not able to afford the curriculum I've seen around, so that sparks a serious interest in these types of schools for us also.

My only other concern, aside from being able to even get my 5 year old into one of them, is that we are a Christian family and because they will not be using Christian curriculum I am wondering how anyone incorporates their religion into the learning process? Any suggestions and advice on either of my concerns is much appreciated, thanks!

~ Del

[octobermom]

 My DD attended the AZVA and it was super simple to enroll her. I simpily called filled out an application and got a few records together and witdrawed her from her school that was it. I've actually heard the opposite that if you do claim a medical then they need the whole long IEP for that child and it an delay the process. 

 Anyways we love the program for us its been perfect I get to jsut follow a set guideline yet I have TONS of freedom ot sumplement decide what our pace needs to be ect.

Deanna

[octobermom]

 This was a HUGE reason while we choose to start homeschooling. By the time my daughter came hoem from school did homework decompressed trying to say hey now lets learn about God/Jesus got met with BUT MOM!! frustration and fights. WIth having her at home I simpily work her Catechism lessons into our day. I give her extra lesson credit towards assisted readind or history ect depending on what we are learning. We use the Baltimore Cathechism as our guide at the moment. and we can weave religion into her literature history ect..

Deanna

My only other concern, aside from being able to even get my 5 year old into one of them, is that we are a Christian family and because they will not be using Christian curriculum I am wondering how anyone incorporates their religion into the learning process? Any suggestions and advice on either of my concerns is much appreciated, thanks!

[elizawill]

i don't have personal experience with virtual schools, however, they work very well for some families.  are you in a state that uses K12 or Connections Academy? or are you in a state that will give you money to purchase the curriculum of your choice, as long as it isn't religious? i know the second option works very well for many families.  even if it's K12 (or comparable) & they provide your entire curriculum to you, i imagine it would'nt be disruptive to your faith.  in the early years, science & history are very general.  for example, science will most likely cover plants, animals, habitats, living & non living things, weather, etc.  it won't discuss creation or evolution at all, and you can add in your own beliefs in that area as you see fit.  you can simply teach bible as a separate subject if you want.  we personally don't use a curriculum for bible, but rather we have family devotions instead.  next year will be the first year i actually buy something that is a bible curriculum (christian light education), and it's for my daughter who'll be 10 & in 4th grade then.

lastly, even if you lack organization, there are many options outside of virtual public schools that help you achieve your goals and feel successful in your journey.  i just wanted to throw that out there, as i realize homeschooling can feel overwhelming when you first begin looking into it.  there are so many other options available for you. hugs. 

[Reebekah]

i think there are pros and cons of using a cyber school.  in my state, i have several to pick from,, and they provide all learning materials, including a computer, printer/fax/copy, $ for an internet connection, etc.  there are some good curriculums offered, like k12 and calvert.  however....even though it is more work and it will cost me more, i decided on regular homeschooling because i want the freedom and flexibility to do what i want when i want, i want to move at my childrens own pace, and we are christian so we want to incorporate bible into every subject....esp. science from a creation standpoint.  while i'm not against cyber schools and i think they are a good fit for many families, i just want to mention that there are several christian companies that provide full curriculum, and they do all the planning for you.....like abeka, sonlight, alpha omega, etc....if you havent already, you may want to check them out so you know what all your options are before making a decision.  good luck.

[cappuccinosmom]

We are in PA and use one of the larger cyber schools here (I think the biggies here are PACyber, Connections, and K12).  In our state these schools actively recruit--more students=more funding.  I've never heard of a school rejecting students, unless you're talking tiny, local, public academies or something??  We had no problem enrolling.  We went to one face-to-face information session/enrollment, and from then on out it's been no problem to add another child over the phone.  I talk and email with the instructional supervisor and she takes care of everything. 

Personally, I love it.  I am absentminded, distractable, and disorganized by nature, and this has been great for me.

Also the children love it. :)  We use the Calvert curriculum provided in the early grades.  My older one just started with the online classes (still using Calvert) this year for 3rd grade.  Not obligatory, definitely put a crimp in our flexibility, but as it turned out it was perfect for him. 

I will say, in order to do this well it can't be *complete* chaos.  You need to be able to remember to sign your kid in every day, and be willing to complete requirements (doing about one lesson per day).  However, at least in our experience, even completing requirements has been very easy. For K4 and K5 in Calvert were very simple, and because they weren't challenging at all but still required, we were allowed to just have the kid take the assessments, send in a few pages for each assessment, and then move up a grade. 

Re Faith:  This has simply been a non-issue for us.  We teach our faith through the day, in and out of school.  Cyberschooling hasn't hindered that in any way.  We can talk about it if it's relevant to our lessons (not usually relevant to math, but often to history and social studies and the like).  Ds did one of his essays on a family tradition and used "going to church", and that was no problem with his online teacher.  The school has to take a secular approach with the curriculum, but that doesn't mean my kids and I can't discuss what they're learning, and use supplemental materials to bring faith into it. :)

[DelKroemer]

Thanks for all the advice so far!

How would I possibly find out about these programs that provide funding for you to pick out your own curriculum?