Meet Gabe and Jaida

Kevona: Initially, we switched during the pandemic because of how the schools were handling things or unsure how they’d proceed. It was important that Gabe could stay home with his asthma.

Jesse: Our kids started out in a private brick-and-mortar preschool, and we decided to keep on the private education track since we weren’t too happy with the public school curriculum. So, switching to an online private school option during the pandemic made sense for our family.

Gabe: No homework! I get all my work done during the day, so when I’m done, I’m done. I like the K12 Zone, too, and the other clubs I’m in.

Jesse: It teaches the kids more independence, and I think that’s great.

Jaida: I feel more supported and respected when it comes to my ADHD, and that helps me learn better. Plus, it’s really flexible, and that helps with my busy schedule in general.

Kevona: The first few weeks were challenging as we all got used to the new online platforms. There’s a little bit of a learning curve. At the time, Gabe had one for elementary school, and Jaida had a different one for middle school. Once we learned how things worked, how to navigate the system and courses, the assignment dates, it was pretty easy.

Jesse: After that learning period, it’s been smooth sailing. Once the kids got the hang of their class schedule and how the assignments worked, they realized how much flexibility there really is with this set-up. They can have some leeway on which subjects to tackle first in their day or if they want to do a class via a recording or live with their teacher at a certain time.

Jesse: The teachers are great; I’ve never seen a boring teacher at this school, and we really like that all the teachers with K12 get special training on how to teach online.

Jaida: My teachers are really understanding when it comes to my ADHD, and they help me work through that. They’re super open to helping you through calls or emails.

Gabe: I’m in Minecraft club, Podcast club, and there’s a school social hour I like to go to. I like the new K12 Zone too.

Jesse: Jaida has friends from her old school she goes to basketball or volleyball games with. Gabe has soccer and basketball buddies. They both stay well connected to friends and the community even with the switch to an online program.

Jaida: My friends from online school and I get to connect through live videos and discussion boards. Some of them I’ve been able to meet in person through activities like the STEM camp I did last summer. We stayed at this university and got to learn about air and space science. It was amazing to learn all that and it was a great group, I’m still in touch with all those students.

Kevona: Absolutely! I often tell Jaida that how she does school now is how I have to manage my days. You have to think through your schedule, your commitments, your deadlines, how flexible something may be. She’s learning time management and prioritization.

Kevona: I had heard about K12 from our doctor when he recommended Gabe stay home from school during the pandemic for health reasons. I didn’t realize there was a private school side, though, until I did more research.

Gabe: Sometimes I forget how much K12 has to offer, even though it’s a virtual program. Like the career exploration stuff, where I get to hear about people’s different jobs, or the K12 Zone where I can hang out with my friends. We didn’t have that in my old school.

Jesse: I didn’t realize how diverse the school community was. At the online private school our kids attend, there are kids from all over the place, it’s really a global community.

Jaida: I was surprised not to have homework. We get all the work done as part of the regular school day, so after school, I’m more free to go about my other activities, like ice skating or clients.

Jesse: With K12, the teachers are specifically taught how to teach online, and they’re amazing. That was a huge green flag because we had seen some other types of virtual learning during the pandemic where that wasn’t the case (no fault of the teachers just a tough situation).

Kevona: Do the research and find the program that is right for your child. That could be the tuition-free public school option, a private school option like we use (where we do pay tuition), or even the career prep add-ons. The K12 programs are awesome so just pick the one that’s best for your child.

Jesse: I’d say check out all the different options K12 has to offer. In general, though, I’d say look for the people who are professionals in teaching online vs. those who are told to teach online, there’s a big difference.

Jaida: It may seem weird at first, but you get used to it pretty quick. Just stay on top of your assignments, and you’ll be all right.