Factors To Consider When Choosing A Virtual School For Your Child

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Parents and guardians, the 2023 Strike School Summer Session is officially open! We offer virtual summer camps for grades K-8 and high school courses for our high schoolers. Click HERE to learn more about our options! 

Let’s face it, all online education is not the same. 

Some schools offer a less quality education than others, making the process of deciding where to enroll your child a little daunting. While the options for online schools are growing by the year, it’s critical to ensure that you’re choosing the right one for your child’s education. What a big decision to make! 

And this leads to an important question we’re discussing today: How do you choose the right virtual school for your child? 

For both parents and guardians who are new to the age of online learning (or even looking to switch virtual schools), here are a few criteria to consider in the process.

Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the major reasons why many families are opting for online school for their children. 

Some families move around often, some may have children who compete in high-level sports or participate in activities that are rigorous and time-consuming, and others may just want their child to learn from the comfort of their own homes. 

Whatever the reason may be, flexibility ensures that the child’s education is able to fit around their schedule. This is a very important attribute that we take into account at Strike School. 

Important questions to consider are: Is the staff willing to work with me and my family on creating a schedule that works for us? Is there a rigid time structure or are we able to make changes? What is the availability like for office hours? Are there in-person events in addition to their online classes?  

Educational Offerings 

This is another important feature to consider when choosing an online school for your child. 

Many online schools offer only a set number of subjects and course offerings while others may tailor their lesson plan to your child’s needs and interests. Learning also involves more than just learning the standard school subjects, so it’s great to consider the different learning opportunities that the online school offers.

Questions to consider include: What types of courses are offered? Does the virtual school offer electives? Is there a broad range of offerings or limited options? 

At Strike School, we’re willing to work with you and your child to ensure that their needs are met and their interests are taken into consideration with our personalized learning plans. We want to have offerings that prepare them for success now and in the future! 

Sense of Belonging 

One of the most important aspects of school, and quite frankly one that many virtual schools can lack (depending on the school of course), is a sense of belonging. 

In a virtual school, it can be easy for students to feel isolated from their peers, especially if they don’t participate in activities outside of their homes, live in a rural area, etc. Socialization is fundamental for a child’s growth and development, and when it’s supplemented with education, the student is getting the full school experience that they deserve. 

While they may not be physically around other students, there are ways that virtual schools can bring a sense of community. For example, Strike School offers virtual classroom options where students can see and interact with each other. We also host an event for National School Choice Week and encourage our students to participate in Strike School Spirit Week as a way to bring our community together. 

These are just a few factors to consider; there are many other factors, including accreditation, communication, and more. 

There’s a lot that goes into the decision process, but we’re here to help you every step of the way! Feel free to contact us at (816)313-2461 or schooloffice@strikeschool.org if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, and to learn more about our 2023 Summer Session, click HERE.