Connect with a Connections Academy Parent

Only a parent knows the profound difference our school makes in a child's life, so we make it easy for you to communicate directly with experienced Connections Academy parents. To connect with a parent just fill out the short request form by clicking on Contact This Parent, and you'll be contacted directly by the parent within a week*.

Mary Ann from Monroe

Since 2003, Mary Ann has considered the Ohio Connections Academy teachers an important part of her family. The rigorous high school program provided excellent preparation for the Ohio Graduation Achievement tests and helped her daughter win 2 ^nd place in a state-wide science fair.

Mindy from Coshocton

With Ohio Connections Academy, all three of Mindy’s children are excelling with a rigorous, personalized education.

Cyndi from Dayton

Cyndi has been with Ohio Connections Academy for the last six years and is planning for her daughter to graduate from Ohio Connections Academy.

When I began researching virtual schools and found Ohio Connections Academy, I felt it was a perfect meld of the things I wanted in a school for my daughter. I wanted a personalized experience and high academic standards as well as flexibility. My oldest daughter began kindergarten in 2004, and I now also have my younger daughter enrolled. My daughters are in fifth and third grade and are doing very well academically.

Ohio Connections Academy has a progressive curriculum that includes up-to-date textbooks, workbooks, and lab supplies. They have Gifted and Talented courses available for advanced students, as well as courses for those who need remediation. Computers are used in learning, but the mainstay of my students’ learning comes from the interaction between me, as their Learning Coach, and them. Not to be minimized is the link between the teachers and the students. The teachers are caring, easy to work with, and eager to help. If you are experiencing any difficulty, they are happy to assist in whatever way they can.

There are many opportunities for enrichment, both from within the lessons themselves, and from the experiences you include yourself. For instance, our family takes educational field trips during the school year, which we all love very much. Last year we went to Colonial Williamsburg for a week, and this year we went to Washington, D.C. Yellowstone is on the books for September. If our daughters were enrolled in traditional school, it would be difficult to do this, but our family benefits from the flexibility of the program.

I highly recommend Connections Academy. I have been with them for six years and hope to continue through graduation. I truly appreciate that Ohio Connections Academy continually strives to improve the program for all involved parties. They listen to the parents and hear your concerns and feedback. They truly want your student to be fulfilled and have a good experience. With this winning combination, I feel confident that my daughters will have a successful education.

Judi from Columbus

With the help of licensed teachers, a high-quality curriculum, and the support of fellow Ohio Connections Academy families, Judi’s children have thrived in this school. All three of Judi’s children are on the honor roll.

Our family was referred to Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) by a friend who already had a student enrolled and who was aware of our frustrations with our previous school. We didn’t think we had a way out since we could not afford to send all of our kids to private schools. While our area’s public school is considered among the best, our kids did not feel challenged, and there was almost no time for family, extracurricular activities, or simply to unwind from the day.

We are now in our fourth year at OCA, and we could not be more pleased with our decision to take control of our children’s education. With the help of licensed teachers, a high-quality curriculum, and the support of fellow OCA families, our children have thrived!

Our eleventh-grade son is on OCA’s honor roll and also takes college courses through the Post-Secondary Education Option (PSEO) program, which offers the college courses for free. He was recently named to the Dean’s List at the local community college he attends and is on track to earn an associate’s degree by the time he graduates high school from OCA next year!

Our daughter is in eighth grade at OCA and is also on the honor roll. She takes accelerated courses, is an avid reader, and is active in extracurricular activities and school clubs.

Our son is a sixth grader at OCA and (not to be outdone) is also on the honor roll! He is a very independent learner and takes pride in his work. He also has time to pursue his interests in sports and music.

OCA has been a blessing for our family in so many ways! As parents, we are actively engaged in our children’s day-to-day learning, and we partner with their teachers to ensure each child has the tools they need to be successful, regardless of their individual learning styles and abilities. The school-sponsored field trips are outstanding and offer the kids a great way to socialize with their peers on, at minimum, a monthly basis.

Had we known years ago that OCA was an option available to us at zero cost, we would have enrolled a long time ago!

Malinda from Salem

As a Learning Coach since 2006, Malinda has enjoyed her direct involvement in her children’s education. She appreciates the exceptional support from teachers, and she is pleased with her children’s social and academic growth during their years at Connections Academy.

Rachel from Xenia

Rachel loves the fact that her daughter started learning two foreign languages early with Ohio Connections Academy. Her family also enjoys the technology classes and many great field trips that the school provides.

Tillie from Maineville

Tillie’s son feels empowered as a student as he learns in the way that’s best for him.

I am the Learning Coach and mom to a Connections Academy seventh grader. We have been a Connections Academy family for five years. We started with Commonwealth Connections Academy in Pennsylvania, and then when we relocated to Ohio, there was no question that we would continue with Ohio Connections Academy.

We chose Connections Academy for many reasons: We felt that a traditional public school setting wasn’t meeting our son’s needs, due to his learning disability, and that he was capable of so much more. J.D. came home from school frustrated, bored, and often feeling like he was being punished for needing extra time or help with his work. When we enrolled with Connections Academy, we began a wonderful new educational experience. J.D. has had teachers and intervention specialists that have gotten to know him and his learning style. This allows J.D. to learn in the way that is best for him. He is allowed to work at his own pace. If he is struggling with a math concept, he can slow down and get extra help, and if he is excelling in social studies or science, he can dig deeper or move ahead. J.D. has also had the opportunity to study a foreign language and participate in activities that he might have missed in a traditional learning support setting. Because of Connections Academy, J.D. feels empowered as a student and truly capable of handling whatever comes his way during the school day.

E-schooling has also brought us closer as a family. As a Learning Coach, I get to spend quality time with J.D. on a daily basis. The flexibility of the program also allows us to go with my husband when he has to travel for work. We pack up the schoolwork and work in the hotel or local library, visit a museum or other local attraction, and then at the end of the day we are able to meet back up with Dad for dinner. Those are moments that we cherish and experiences that add to J.D.’s learning adventure. He’s visited museums and historic sites all over the country without missing a beat in his schooling.

We are a very grateful Connections Academy family and would love to share our experiences and answer questions for anyone looking for an alternative to their current situation.

Charri from Boardman

Charri is thrilled with her daughter’s turnaround since enrolling at Ohio Connections Academy. She especially loves the strong curriculum and dedicated teachers.

We have been with Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) since March of 2008. I transferred my daughter from her public school because I was at a loss for what else to do for her. She had accomplished nothing the entire school year prior. All she managed to do during class was talk and pass notes, and she was concerned with nothing but fashion and gossip. She was going to fail the sixth grade if I didn’t do something.

I did some research about online schools and loved what I read about OCA. The hook for me was the curriculum. As an education major, I know the importance of a strong curriculum, as well as first-rate resources, textbooks, and materials and activities to reinforce lessons. OCA supplied it all: up-to-date textbooks, online resources such as BrainPOP® and Discovery Education, LiveLesson® sessions, workbooks, Teachlet® tutorials, and projects to complement every unit in every subject. They even offer foreign language in elementary and middle school, as well as in high school.

Starting OCA was painless. The enrollment process was straightforward and quick. My daughter’s supplies reached us quickly. The school gives a tutorial that takes the Learning Coaches through every aspect of the e-school experience, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed or intimidated by this new experience. The staff as well as the tutorial helped me feel comfortable and confident in my role.

My daughter was upset with having to use virtual school at first, but within two weeks, her enthusiasm peaked, she began working voluntarily rather than by force, and she was more concentrated and careful with her work. The one quarter with OCA made all the difference. She was no longer defiant, careless, scattered, and sloppy. She was cooperative, careful, focused—the daughter I always knew I had but who was previously lost to me. My son, seeing the change in his older sister, decided that he, too, HAD to be a part of OCA, even though he was having no problems in his bricks-and-mortar school, but instead was excelling.

I have been very pleased with both of my children’s progress while being with OCA. The teachers are extremely helpful, patient, understanding, and giving. It is fortunate to find such dedication in teachers. It is nearly like my children have their own private tutors on call for their every need. I couldn’t ask for more for my children. That is saying a lot. I am extremely high-strung and demanding when it comes to the welfare of my children. Any school that can meet my standards and expectations has got to be something special.