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Parents share tips on finding the school that fits

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

No more is picking a school a matter of public versus private. The choices are vast — charter, magnet, religious, independent, home school, virtual school and various combinations.

How can parents decide?

First, remember that all children are different and what works for one family may not work for yours, said Heather Lambie, a mother of two at the private Canterbury School of Florida.

“You know your child best,” she said, “so you know what their comfort level is, academically and socially.”

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Treasure Coast school districts looking to launch web-based regional school

January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A virtual school run jointly by Treasure Coast school districts would allow students from Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties to take classes online regardless of where they live. The Okeechobee County School District also is participating in the venture.

In late July, school board members and superintendents from the four school districts first discussed exploring the creation of a regional virtual school, which officials say could save taxpayer money and provide students with more options for Web-based instruction. Nationally, virtual education has been touted as a cost-effective model because many students take online classes at home.

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Free Online Homeschooling For High School

December 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Where do I start to look into high school home schooling Online. Do Public Schools offer Home Schooling for free Online colleges. Parents seeking an alternative to public education haveoften selected homeschooling. Even Branford High School has started a virtual school offering online classes to a small group of junior and senior students, first-come, first serve.

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Virtual schools are in session

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Thirty states plus the District of Columbia have full-time online schools. And while those schools only educate about 200,000 students nationwide, that number is growing by about 25 percent each year. Florida opened one of the first online schools in 1997 and the Florida Virtual School is now the nation’s largest. California alone has 16 virtual schools.

In 2006, Michigan became the first state to make completion of at least one online class a high school graduation requirement. Since then, Alabama and Florida have followed. Reasons for attending a virtual school include physical disabilities or medical conditions, bullying problems at school, living in remote areas, or having caretaker or financial responsibilities at home.

Virtual schools also serve students whose careers in the arts or athletics make traditional school attendance impossible.

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Virtual School

November 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are a growing number of students in the U.S.  who’s “going to school” now means logging into computers anywhere they are located.

 

Virtual schools are now entrusted with the education of children as young as kindergarten as an estimated 1.5 million students participate in online education today. Florida, as well as many other states, has started to follow along with this trend.

Starting with the 2011-2012 school year, ninth graders will need to take an online class to be able to graduate. This new law comes after years of planning. In 1997, the state created Florida Virtual School as an Internet-based public high school. Now it is a state-wide school district, and offers classes from K-12. The Digital Learning Now Law was created to prepare children for a technology-based future, freeing them from classrooms.

Not everyone thinks this new law is such a great idea, but the Legislature did approve it.

“Many students who start off ninth grade already struggle enough trying to adjust to a new school and harder classes. Now they have to worry about getting home and taking another class, said Maria Movilla, a concerned mother. “I mean, they go to school for a reason.”

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Endeavor Academy’s sweeping changes show signs of success

November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

William Mattingly dreams of heading to college by way of Springstead High.

That dream was deferred when Mattingly got into a fight with another student last year at Powell Middle School. Now 16, he’s playing catch-up at Endeavor.

Like the rest of his Endeavor peers, Mattingly took an online diagnostic test that was then used to create a customized learning plan on software called Compass. The system includes video and animated tutorials with audio to keep students engaged. During a unit on the Founding Fathers, for example, characters in powdered wigs and tailcoats flash across the screen.

There are clear advantages to the Endeavor model, Mattingly said.

“The teachers help more,” he said. “And you’re more focused on your work.”

Mattingly also recognizes the need for another key trait. Take his favorite subject, math, for example.

“To do it on the computer, you have to have self-discipline,” he said.

Encouraging students who don’t have that discipline is one of the primary roles of the teachers, said Rushton, a 35-year-old veteran teacher who started his career in inner-city Miami and worked at STAR last year.

“Kids who are motivated, they zip right through,” Rushton said. “If you’ve got tail draggers, we have to push them a little bit.”

Hard work pays off, though. Endeavor is on an eight-period day, one more than regular schools, so high school students can earn eight credits during the day and more if they enroll in virtual school and work at home.

“If they’re behind and are committed to catching up, they can,” Dill said.

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A Duval school paper, virtually

November 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A new Internet publication is giving some Duval County Public Schools students a voice and making their virtual school feel a little less virtual.
The Virtual Voice, the official newspaper for Duval Virtual Instruction Academy’s high school, launched in mid-October.
The publication is student-run and gives the students, who only know each other as voices online, a chance to meet and work together, said Tom O’Bryan, an English and creative writing teacher in the virtual academy’s high school.
“None of these kids knew anybody else that they were in these classes with. There needed to be some level of socialization and kids getting to know each other,” said O’Bryan, who lives in Brevard County.
Kalilah Jamall, 18, the paper’s editor-in-chief, said the project has helped bring about a dozen students closer together.

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States, Districts Move to Require Virtual Classes

October 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The company is also offering the families enrolled a “netbook-style laptop” for $150, access to free digital-literacy training, and free Internet-security software. However, the program would only aid students who qualify and who are in the Comcast service area.

In Florida, which is kicking off its own statewide requirement for an online-learning credit with this year’s freshman class, there’s no shortage of online options, says Mary Jane Tappen, the deputy chancellor for K-12 curriculum, instruction, and student services for the Florida Department of Education. The state boasts the nation’s largest online school, the Florida Virtual School, which served 122,000 students during the 2010-11 school year, and individual districts in the state often offer their own virtual courses as well.

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Manatee County Schools virtual class launch proves successful

October 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

MANATEE — When teacher Aimee Booth awakes in the morning, she doesn’t have far to go to her office. She need only sit in front of her computer — a far cry from the brick and mortar classroom she taught in for 10 years in Manatee County.

Today, Booth is a teacher in one of Manatee County School District’s latest ventures — online learning. The district launched its Internet franchise, which is connected to parent company Florida Virtual School, earlier this year. The new venture is called eTech of Manatee.

Booth is one of more than 1,000 teachers who work full-time in connection with Florida Virtual School. The parent company is considered an award-winning success. When other online ventures launched and failed, Florida Virtual soared to a successful $120-million a year operation that has existed for 15 years. Florida Virtual was called the top virtual education provider in the nation by the Center for Digital Education.

Booth and district officials say the Manatee launch also has been a success. Middle and high school science, math and language arts are being offered. Courses cost $50 per class per student.

“We knew we wanted to start small,” said Verdya Bradley, associate director of Manatee County Schools innovative programs and parental options.

Seven other teachers were hired for the virtual school and 225 students have signed up. That’s considered a modest start tied to the massive online school that has an enrollment that includes 41 of Florida’s 67 school districts. Students from 49 states and 46 countries from throughout the world take part in the program.

District officials say local students prefer to attend an online class in addition to taking courses at a district school. Others are home schooled and take advantage of the new virtual school. Then, there’s a small group that are eTech exclusive.

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Schools can be community hubs, places of learning

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

School counselors, social workers, nurses and media specialists, along with paraprofessionals and other key components of our children’s education are not considered “in the classroom”, which could eliminate these already depleted resources.

Also, most districts already spend more than “65 percent” “in the classroom” when looking at all resources dedicated to classrooms.

Even more alarming is Governor Scott’s plan to push for his “Education Savings Account,” which would provide vouchers to all citizens who have children in public schools and allow them to choose – private school, charter school, virtual school, or public school. No accountability, no checks or balances; just a give-a-way which will further deplete funding for our traditional public schools.

If the choice is not a good one, that child will return to a public school – but WITHOUT FUNDING PROVIDED! Then it will be the public school teachers, administrators and support personnel who will be held accountable for that child’s education!

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