Richmond Leader

As our nation recovers from COVID, we mourn lost loved ones, jobs, businesses, and even our sense of security. Yet there’s been another less visible but equally devastating impact: the loss of multiple years of learning for our children.

Recent news accounts detail the federal Department of Education’s first look at learning trends since the pandemic began. The data in the National Assessment of Educational Progress report, often called “the Nation’s Report Card,” is not pretty. It shows unprecedented drops in fourth grade reading and math scores. Virginia parents have good reason to worry.

In my work with Parent Support for Online Learning, as I advocate for educational options across America, I hear from parents who are worried about this learning loss. They want to know why this happened, what they can do to correct it and ultimately how to protect their kids. 

The problem was not that schooling went online. When done right, online schools work well. The real trouble was the haphazard and quickly thrown together remote teaching done by traditional public schools with little or no experience in remote learning.

Online schools have been doing it effectively for years, but traditional public schools were simply not ready for the sudden shift, and learning loss was the result. Unlike many traditional schools, kids in online schools didn’t advance without knowing the material.

Teachers at online schools are there because they love teaching in this way, and they’re good at it. They’ve trained specially to teach online, use course materials that are intentionally built for online delivery, and they’re supported by the most current technology.

At online schools, students and families come first. The attention is on teaching reading, writing, science and objective, fact-based history - not on politics and controversies. Online schools are run for the benefit of children, not to support the agendas of adults.

Unlike the school that recently charged parents $1,200 just to see the list of learning materials their children were using, online schools are transparent and they keep parents completely aware of what their kids are learning.

Online schools respect parents’ primary responsibility to educate their children, and they involve parents closely as learning partners. It’s not too late for parents in Virginia to get this kind of involvement and control in their kids’ learning. In fact, every Virginia family has the right to send their child to an online school, tuition free. These are public schools, funded by Virginia tax dollars.

Here’s how it works: students take courses at their own pace, learning at home under the watchful eye of mom or dad. Experienced, certified teachers guide students along at every step.  

Students have access to a college prep curriculum or specialized courses that focus on getting students ready for high-demand, well-paying careers, like health care, technology, and business. When children take classes that align with their interests and talents, they are happier and better motivated to learn.

Students who attend online schools fulfill all the same requirements as students in traditional brick and mortar schools, but they do it without the hassles and risks of traditional public schools. In this flexible, modern learning system, there’s no need to awaken children early, depriving them of sleep just so they can sit on a bus for an hour or more, then be trapped in a classroom all day. 

The traditional 8 to 3 schedule might be convenient for the teachers and staff, and may work for some kids, but it doesn’t work for every child. Research shows that it’s a problem for developing youngsters. Kids learn better when they have opportunities for short breaks throughout the day, so that they can get up and move, have a snack, rest or interact with a parent or sibling, and that extra family time is priceless.

In an online school, kids are not captive to a rigorous school day schedule. As long as they get that day’s work done, students can start when it makes sense, and end when they’re finished. That leaves more time to play, to exercise, to be creative, and, importantly, to spend quality time with the family.

Another important reason to consider an online charter school is safety. Kids can be cruel to each other. Teachers in traditional public schools, especially ones with scant resources, are so overworked, that no matter how well-intentioned they are, they simply cannot protect every child all the time.

And sadly, when youngsters are picked on, they fear school. In an effort to stay safe, they may pretend to be sick or misbehave. They may even lose their natural love of learning, starting a failure chain that can become difficult to break.

Online school students learn in a safe environment -- home. They won’t be offered drugs on the school bus. They won’t face playground bullies. I can’t tell you the number of parents who’ve told me, in all seriousness, that online schools saved their kid’s life. 

School has started, but it’s not too late to choose a school that’s right for your child. Parents can take back control. Enrollment for online schools is happening right now. You can see all your options at choosemyschoolva.com.

Tillie Elvrum founded Parent Support for Online Learning. She is a national advocate for online schools and has been ever since her son found success in and graduated from online schools.