A day in the life – online school for Sabrina & Mabiel (mom and Learning Coach)

Mabiel: We moved from Cuba so Sabrina could have a better future. She wasn’t getting the academic support she needed at her first school in the U.S., and I felt like I couldn’t protect her during her transition to our new country.

The teachers and administration didn’t seem to want to listen or offer any solutions for us and our situation. She was also starting to have some health issues related to the emotional stress from bullying, lack of support, and other challenges. I wanted her to be able to learn in a way where she felt safe so she could rebuild her confidence to get to where she needed to be to have a successful future.

Sabrina: I think online school is easier for me. I have more time to get my work done, and I can concentrate better since there aren’t as many distractions at home.

The time limits are more flexible at my K12-powered school, so if I’m having a hard time reading through an assignment or something, I can take extra time to make sure I fully understand. Some things still get caught up in translation so it’s nice that I don’t have to rush through, and I can work at my pace. The classes are recorded so I can even go back and rewatch lessons if I need to. I have my own space to do my classes and work now too. I also like it because I don’t feel the peer pressure I felt in my old school.

Mabiel: We initially thought that we’d only use the school powered by K12 as a temporary solution but liked it so much that we stayed. It truly was the answer to our prayers for Sabrina.

Sabrina actually started taking online courses during the pandemic. She seemed more motivated and focused in her classes. She started to want to communicate more in English, too, which she had resisted when in-person. When we realized she was making more progress in that environment, I started asking about ways she could do that full time. It was through our church community that we found out we had options, and specifically about K12-powered online schools.

The whole process from orientation to the first day of classes was great. The enrollment team and school staff were super helpful over the phone getting us set up, they had Spanish-speaking support, and they really listened to our concerns.

Sabrina: The teachers are friendly, and they’re patient. They make sure you’re understanding the lesson, and they pay attention to you.

The teachers now really take the time to listen to me and the other students. At my old school, it felt like the teachers heard me but didn’t really listen to me.

My teachers do their best to make learning fun too. My favorite teacher is my math teacher. She comes up with games and other ways to make math fun. For example, we’re learning about functions right now, and she’s made-up little jokes to help us remember the relationship between X and Y. That helps me remember things. My English teacher does similar things in her class, too, finds things to help us remember what we’re learning.

Mabiel: I see a big difference between the teachers at the K12 powered school vs. our old school.

Before, we dealt with teachers who were inflexible, demanding, and sometimes even argumentative when we explained the situation we dealt with coming here from Cuba and how that impacted Sabrina’s learning opportunities.

Sabrina: I like to play with Tika, my cat. She’s the only one that walks through my workspace when I’m in class.

Sometimes when grandmother is in the kitchen, I’ll help her cook or bake the oatmeal cookies she likes. When it’s nice outside, I love to go for walks. Even if it’s not nice out, I’ll still walk on the treadmill.

Mabiel: I want other families here in the U.S., especially ones like ours who’ve come from other countries, to know that your children can have a great education and that there’s an option out there that will work for them.

My pastor helped me realize that we had more than one option for our child’s education here, and the biggest thing I’d want to share is that you have options too. Things are different here in the United States. Parents have the opportunity to advocate for their children’s education. You can ask questions, request meetings, and even explore other options openly.