Is Public School at Home Right for Your Family?       

public school at homeMoms know there’s no tougher job—nor one that matters more—than raising and educating our kids. And though some of us may have dreamed of homeschooling, orchestrating those “aha!” moments of educational discovery, vowing to make math fun, and serving up healthy, homemade lunches to accompany it all, the reality is that being in charge of a child’s education, on top of tending to their general well-being, is a huge responsibility. The logistics of finding curriculum and navigating through it can be daunting, not to mention dealing with the nagging self-doubt that some homeschooling parents experience, wondering if their child’s education really is better left to the professionals. Some families also find that a traditional brick-and-mortar setting may not be the best fit for their child’s learning style. If your family is looking for an education alternative somewhere between traditional homeschooling and public school options, ask yourself: What if public school could come to you?

Public School at Home

By combining rigorous curriculum and state-licensed teachers with the technology that allows distance learning to be more innovative and more connected than ever before, families are finding ways to embrace the best of both worlds. Kansas Virtual Academy and Insight School of Kansas, both powered by K12, offer tuition-free online public school education that can be a smart alternative for Kansas City families.

Students in these online schools benefit from a personalized approach to learning. Rather than being bound to the school bell, they’re able to progress through each daily lesson at their own pace, taking extra time on difficult concepts and moving quickly through material they may already know. As students grow with the program, they also develop important skills in organization and time management, as well as self-advocacy, learning to reach out to their teachers when they need extra guidance. Eligible high school students may even choose concurrent enrollment, getting an opportunity to earn college credits while completing their online high school requirements.

A Day in the Life

But what’s a day in the life of an online student really like? Rather than heading to the bus stop, online students log in to their school from home or anywhere they have an internet connection, eliminating some of the stress of the typical morning rush. Through the course of their school day, students progress through online lessons listed in their Daily Plan. They also engage in interactive activities and virtual classroom sessions in their Online School (OLS). Students may complete independent activities offline, such as reading from school-supplied* textbooks, completing workbook pages, or creating an art project. Teachers interact with students through their online classrooms and by email or phone as needed. Students can decide when to tackle their math lesson, when they might want to double down on a reading assignment, or when to take a break.

For younger students, getting all this done takes guidance. In fact, all students are required to have an adult act as a designated Learning Coach who can log attendance and take care of other administrative duties, as well as keep students on task. Parents are the best judge of how much active supervision their students are likely to need, but Learning Coaches should plan to spend 3–6 hours per day helping students in the early grades, and 1–2 hours assisting high schoolers. Although online schooling can look different for every family, K12’s website provides several examples of a typical Day in the Life of real online students.

Personalized online learning can be a powerful education choice for your family. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of online education and the process of enrolling in a K12-powered school in Kansas, explore these options online or contact an enrollment consultant at 844-208-6608.

*Offline materials vary by course and grade.

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