anyone do a online public school with K12 (or other?)

[dana]

so - my sister is planning on homeschooling her 5th grader next year, and specifically using an online public school (hoosier academy) w/ K12 ... does anyone have any experience using an online/virtual school?

thanks!

[Leila]

Ask questions. Lots and lots and lots of questions.

1) Ask to speak to local parents who've had children enrolled for a year or more (preferably more.).
2) What is the parent participation level? Are they just there to help with 'homework' like a B&M school or are they doing the majority of the teaching?
3) How much time is spent online? How is attendance done? How are state tests handled?
4) Does the program do placement tests, is it ability or age based. (Regular public schools are very much age based.) Will they allow a child to advance mid-way through the year if the child is excelling in a subject area? Will they allow the child to do the work at a slower pace if s/he is struggling?
5) Is subject blocking allowed? (Can student do all Science lessons for the week on Monday, Math on Tuesday, etc. or do they have to do each subject daily?)
6) Remember that virtual charter programs ARE NOT HOMESCHOOLING. The child is still enrolled in a public school, they're just doing it from home. They're still required to do the state mandated number of school days, state mandated testing, etc.

We had serious issues with the virtual charter our boys did last year. We were told one thing then given something entirely different. So now, we're a lot more wary of what's out there. Honestly, these programs are truly a YMMV type of situation. There are families who just love the school our kids attended. There are others, like us, who loathed it. The boys interacted with their teacher twice during an entire school year. Classes weren't held as we were told, heck, they weren't even held. Only enrichment or assistive classes were held and those were rarely on the schedule more than two days in advance. (I should note that this was not a K12 school, they did use K12, but it wasn't their sole source of curriculum.)

Anyway, that's what I'd share with your sister. Ask questions of people other than the staff. Don't go in blind.