Individualized Learning

“We choose (K12) because our school district sent all the work home for the parents to teach. And the staff is poorly equipped to handle special needs kids. K12 and TNVA has been a blessing for our family. All three of my kids love the one-on-one attention they get from teachers. And they get to work at a pace that is comfortable for them. My kids now love learning thanks to K12.” -Danyel Price

“The traditional brick-and-mortar school just wasn’t working for us any longer. I didn’t feel qualified to do a traditional homeschool and so I researched other possibilities. That’s when I discovered the many options, including online learning. We went with K12. It has worked out beautifully for my son’s high school career. He will graduate this year. He’s thriving. I’m thrilled. Thank you, K12.” -Jo Hoffman

“Why would I want to send my only child into an overpopulated, noisy classroom when he can have one-on-one learning at home. Sometimes he starts school at 9 AM and he keeps doing school work until 6 PM. He loves to learn and most days puts in way more hours than required. My husband, son, and myself love K12!” -Natalie Polidoro

Advanced Learners

“I finished my high school career with K12 because it let me graduate in December instead of June and I started college the same semester I graduated. So, thank you K12, because now I’m almost a year ahead of everyone in my graduating class and awaiting my acceptance email from Disney for the Disney college program!!” -Heather T.

The brick-and-mortar school in Dominique’s district had bigger class sizes, and she wasn’t getting the education she needed and deserved. Dominique and her family found their solution with online education in K12’s Washington Virtual Academies where she was able to reclaim her educational freedom. She excelled in math and science courses, and found her government and politics class to be particularly “eye opening.” She started taking high school courses in eighth grade, and says she “really cared about her grades.” She continued setting goals for herself, and achieving them. Read more of Dominique’s online education experience here.

Caroline and her brother weren’t able to progress as quickly as they wanted to in their previous school and needed to be challenged more. Now, Caroline is enjoying her education, and, impressively, her brother graduated high school at the age of 14 and is now attending Carnegie Mellon University. Read more of Caroline’s online education experience here.

Military

“We are military and love the flexibility it offers!” – Lindsey L.

“My husband is deploying this year and he travels now for flight training, and we have been able to be with him! Thank you K¹² for taking our military residency and having teachers that understand our traveling, time zones, and sometimes crazy Internet connection. Thank you for giving us the chance to be a full time family until he leaves!” -A.E. Dean

“Military transfer…we were six weeks late getting to the new base and the old school wouldn’t let us register the kids for those 6 weeks…I didn’t want them falling behind so I looked for other options. That was four years ago and we’ve been in K12 ever since…the kids love it.” -Trish S.

Performer/Athlete

Being the Valedictorian is no easy feat, and adding musician, published writer, and athlete to that list may seem like too much for one person to accomplish successfully. Not the case for Stephen Smith, graduate of K12’s Michigan Virtual Charter Academy. Read more about Stephen and his online education experience here.

Since the age of seven, David has participated in as many as 25 competitions a year, often winning or placing in the top ten. And he’s joined the list of many who were once aspiring Olympians who have found success through online education. Read more of David’s online education experience here.

As a figure skater with an entrepreneur mom, Nadia and her mother had a hard time trying to fit it all in one day. Nadia trains daily, and her mom’s schedule is dictated by clients which intensifies schedule challenges. K12’s online education has provided Nadia and her mother with an exceptional curriculum and a flexible schedule so they are able to flourish in the activities they love and manage their daily schedule. Read more of Nadia’s online education experience here.

In addition to these categories, K12 offers programs that cater to more students and families, such as those with special needs, are homebound, or who need to escape bullying. Why did your family choose to use online education? Leave your answers in the comments below. 

Related Links

• Dispelling the Top 5 Myths about Online Education
• Online Learning: A Bullying Refuge
• Back to School: Parent Support in Online Education
• Online School: The Teachers, the Curriculum, and Why We Keep Coming Back

Understanding the Challenges of Military Kids

Military children may be separated from a parent for a significant period of time due to that parent’s deployment. Depending on the type of deployment, children may feel concern and worry over their parents’ safety in addition to coping with their absence. Tragically, some children may even have to cope with learning that a parent or relative has been seriously injured while away.

Most military kids have to deal with the stress of leaving their home and starting somewhere new on a regular basis. Frequent moves can upset the continuity of school life and affect a child’s education.

New schools may present different curricula, different teaching styles, and sometimes even fellow students who give newcomers a hard time. Military children often must navigate new social hierarchies, adding a variety of stressors that may inhibit their ability to effectively learn new material.

Military children also may find that new teachers or classmates are unfamiliar with a military child’s unique situation, and the challenges of having to make new friends on a regular basis.

Although many military children thrive and sometimes even enjoy trying out a new school, it’s still clear that parents and school administrators need to take special care that a military child is properly integrated into a new educational environment. At the same time, military children need to be given the tools and extra support to make sure they thrive no matter where they’re learning.

Overcoming Challenges

The good news is that there are already a variety of solutions that can help military children on their educational journey, and here are some of the best of them:

• Counseling – It’s up to parents and educational staff to recognize when a child is struggling. Counseling can address behavioral and psychological issues that may otherwise lead to poor educational achievement. In fact, parents can search for different free services—like child development centers and youth programs—at specific installations they are deployed near.
• Tutoring – Tutoring can help nearly every child, but military kids can especially benefit, particularly when they first move to a new location. The Department of Defense (DoD) offers free online tutoring for all students through Tutor.com.
• Use Non-Profit Resources – The great news is there are many non-profits that can help children with transitions, educational achievement, and financial aid. The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) offers scholarships, educational camps, and even parent workshops designed to help advocate for military children. Other organizations, like Blue Star Farm, offer military kids art programs, online teaching guides, and summer reading campaigns, and even help kids deal with issues like bullying. Parents, and all those caring for military children, should ensure they’re taking advantage of all the programs available to them that may be effective for their kids.
• Online Education – Online learning is transforming for the better the way military children learn. Online learning offers a clear and consistent educational style that doesn’t depend on a teacher’s personality or personal preferences. Instead, the pace and teaching style are up to students and their parents, which allows students to explore subjects on their own terms. Online learning resources can also provide homeschooling parents with a quality educational supplement and help them deliver a well-rounded curriculum that touches on all necessary subjects. To learn about tuition-free online schools and military discounts on private school options, visit K12.com today and ask for your free information kit.

Read on to see how these military kids are thriving in an online learning environment.

Honoring an Exceptional Military Teen for Armed Forces Day

K12 student Austin Babcock’s online education led to honors and scholarships for him! Not only did Austin receive the highest honor a Boys and Girls Club member can receive as the 2014 Military Youth of the Year Award, but he already has a full scholarship to the University of Wyoming as a junior at Wyoming Virtual Academy. Read More

K12 Student Heads to West Point

Thanks to his focus, determination, and online education, Jacob H. found himself with terrific college options this month. But in the end, it was no contest for the Bay Virtual Instruction Program of Florida student, who had accepted an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. At 18, Jacob is quite accustomed to moving on. With his father in the military, he has lived in six states and studied in both traditional and online settings. Read More

Why Online Education?

In this article about why parents choose online education, A.E. Dean explains how much it helped her military family. “My husband is deploying this year and he travels now for flight training, and we have been able to be with him!” she says. “Thank you K12 for taking our military residency and having teachers that understand our traveling, time zones, and sometimes crazy Internet connection. Thank you for giving us the chance to be a full time family until he leaves!” Read More

How Separated Military Families Can Stay Connected

One of the hardest parts about military life is frequent separation. Deployments, station changes, and temporary assignments can make military life lonely and challenging for both military personnel and their families. Even families outside of the military face the challenges of separation on occasion. Luckily, with a combination of modern technology and old-fashioned pen and paper, distance doesn’t have to equal separation. Read More

How To Prepare Kids for Parent’s Military Deployment

Being separated from a parent for an extended amount of time can be a traumatic experience for a child. Whether the reason is due to a military deployment or other job travel requirements, parents must be sensitive to the impact it will have on their children. Read More

Related Links

• Who We Help: Military Families

Read about other students in this series who do particularly well learning in an individualized, flexible, online learning environment. This seven-part series includes Advanced Learners, Elite Athletes and Performers, Bullied Students, College-Bound Students, Homeschoolers, Military Children, and Students who are not Challenged in Traditional Schools.