As the U.S. slowly returns to normal life, pre-pandemic, and resumes in-person classes this fall, some parents prefer virtual schools to be permanently available to their children.
For Colorado mom Samantha Lucero, virtual classes worked for her 13-year-old daughter in the autism spectrum. Since virtual schools do not require kids to be physically present in class, Lucero's daughter didn't have to struggle with socializing, communicating, and adapting to the changes around their environment.
As she was learning from home during the pandemic, the teenager was able to concentrate on her school work. So, when an option to enroll her daughter in a permanent online school opened at the Colorado Springs School District, in conjunction with the Spark Online Academy, Lucero talked to her daughter. The latter was excited to continue with her online classes in the fall.
What is Spark Online Academy?
Spark Online Academy, a project of District 11 in Colorado Springs, started taking applications from students who preferred virtual schools in April 2021. For the 2021-2022 school year, the school opened more slots for K-8 students and expressed plans to add one grade each year.
The center has established its online learning courses before the pandemic because they have been running the Achieve Online School for some years. However, the school saw an increase in demand when lockdowns were imposed, and many establishments, including schools, were closed for much of last year.
Students do not have to strictly live in the District 11 boundary to study at Spark Online Academy since all the classes are online. Any Colorado student with a good internet connection at home may enroll for the school year.
To date, the virtual school has about 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and classes are limited to 25 students per grade level. Julie Johnson, the principal of Spark Online Academy, said that they still need to limit the number of students, even if they can cram many kids in a virtual classroom, to maintain the quality of instruction and education.
Another virtual school, The Connection Academy, has also seen a rise in students. The center has a wider scope than Spark Online Academy since it has ties to 40 public schools across 29 states.
Problems with Virtual Schools
However, some parents, teachers, and educational experts believe that virtual schools cannot apply to all students as remote learning might make it harder to spot and recognize kids with learning disabilities like dyslexia or dysgraphia. Some teachers said that they could not assess a child's progress properly without in-person interaction because going to school is not just about academics. It's also about interactions and gauging children's responses to the lessons and activities.
"It's going to be really difficult to assess where students are," Meghan Whittaker of the National Center for Learning Disabilities said. "[It's harder] to determine whether what we are seeing is the result of a disability or a new baseline for everyone."
Winnie Williams-Hall, a special education teacher, said that they have to see the children's faces to determine if they have to slow down with the lectures. It would be difficult to do so in a virtual class, especially if some kids do not have their cameras on, mute their microphones, or experience connectivity delays and audio issues.
