Elizabeth wanted a safe option where her daughters could focus on their learning and not the distractions of being a teenager at a traditional school.
K12-powered school allows for enough flexibility in their school schedule to do what they need to do as a family and work at their own pace so Lily can work ahead and Arianna can run her baking business.
Schoolwork for Lily and Arianna is a mix of scheduled, live classes called Class Connect sessions, self-guided offline assignments, and Stride Career Prep activities like business clubs.
For example, a typical day may have Lily starting with a reading for English on her own and then a live math class afterward led by her state-certified teacher. If she gets stuck on anything, her mom and Learning Coach (Elizabeth) and Arianna are there to help.
A typical day for Arianna may start with a live science class and then include offline reading for history. Later, she may have a business-specific marketing class as part of Stride Career Prep. They can reach out to their teachers in the live classes, via email, or during weekly office hours as questions come up.
A benefit of schools powered by K12 is that the educational materials—a computer, textbooks, supplies for offline activities, and more—are provided.
Learning Coaches typically spend between 1 to 3 hours each day with middle and high school students like Lily and Arianna providing guidance and encouragement.
Part of the goal is to help students become independent learners so that they don’t have as much direct support during the school day and can ask for what they need as issues come up.
Learning Coaches (often parents like Elizabeth) aren’t on their own either. Teachers are accessible for questions, and there are communities specifically for Learning Coaches that provide extra support and share resources.
The number of classes students take varies per grade level and individual. For example, students in 7th grade and other middle schoolers like Lily typically take between 5–6 subjects each semester, with maybe 2–4 of those requiring scheduled, live classes. For high school students like Arianna, it may be between 3–6 subjects, with 2–3 of those requiring live classes.
The other subjects are completed via self-guided assignments and skills labs in the K12 interactive online learning system.
In addition to core academic subjects like English, math, science, and social studies, K12-powered schools have a great selection of electives, including career exploration and field-specific courses like Arianna takes in business and entrepreneurship.
Classes schedules may vary considerably based on the individual student and their needs, state, and any special programs.
Hanging out with their cousins (they have 30!), feeding the ducks at the park, riding golf carts, and movie nights.
In addition to already owning her own bakery business, Arianna is part of Stride Career Prep at her school.
She’s taking business-specific courses, such as entrepreneurship, where she can apply what she’s learning to her own orders and customers. Arianna also connects with other student business owners at her school, and they learn from each other’s experiences.
Arianna gets to connect to other students with her interests in school clubs.
She’s in a weekly social club and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), letting her connect even more of what she does at school to her baking business. This year for the first time, she’s in the yearbook club too. Lily is thinking about joining the animal club soon.
Lily loves science. Besides being her favorite class, she spends a lot of her free time doing extra assignments and experiments.
She even connected science to her family’s regular trips to the duck pond near their house. Once she heard bread wasn’t good for the ducks, she helped the family do some research to find out what they ate. Now they feed them boonworms and are clearly the ducks’ favorite visitors.
One of the benefits of K12-powered school is that the engaging curriculum is hands-on and includes materials for offline activities.
Grade 11
Why K12: Mia wanted an environment where she could focus on building her future. She’s earning certifications and developing skills for a career in healthcare.
Explore a Day in the Life of Mia
Grade 11
Why K12: JessieAnn uses the extra time online school allows to take additional healthcare courses and participate in more clubs and activities.
Join JessieAnn and Her Siblings for a Day
Grade 11
Why K12: Gabriela’s mom wanted an option that provided career exploration and prep for her teens in a safe environment.
See Gabriela’s Day with Her Brother
K12 powers a wide variety of educational options. including tuition-free public schools and tuition-based private schools. See what’s available in your area.
These are the stories of real students attending K12-powered schools and their families. Content is a combination of direct quotes and summaries from in-person interviews. Their stories each reflect their experiences at their respective schools. Actual experience can vary by student and school. These pages are designed to reflect a typical day in the life of a student attending an online K12-powered school. Individual class schedules and requirements will vary by state, school, and the individual needs of each student.
