After homeschooling independently for ten years and briefly enrolling her children in public school, Juanita has found Connections Academy to be a superior experience for her family.
In August of 2008, after ten years of successfully homeschooling independently, I was faced with a difficult situation: for the first time, all six of my children were now officially school-aged. I was very stressed out and felt that I didn't have the resources to continue to homeschool them myself. So, I enrolled my four youngest children in our local public school. As each six-week grading period came and went, I evaluated our situation.
You might say that we were experiencing success in the public school system, except for the fact that the grades being brought home were almost too perfect. Although great for bragging purposes, I knew my children simply were not being challenged enough with their studies. At the same time, they were being bullied and teased for even being interested in academics. I was at a loss for what to do. I knew that I wanted more for my children, but didn’t know what to do about it.
Then in December of 2008, I learned about Connections Academy, and it seemed like the perfect solution. As I gave the matter more thought, I realized that for our situation, the increased accountability through state testing was a blessing, not a curse, and the thought of having state-certified teachers guiding my children through their studies was very appealing.
I withdrew my children from our local public school and enrolled my eligible student in Connections Academy. After eight months, I have to say that Connections Academy has exceeded all my expectations. The teachers are very professional and take a lot of time to get to know their students through phone calls, emails, and LiveLesson® sessions. To my delight, the curriculum is rigorous enough to challenge my student, but not so difficult that he is unable to complete the assignments. The teachers are able to help determine whether the academic work is at an appropriate level for the particular student and make changes accordingly. My student has learned a lot in the past eight months without having to put up with bullies, teasing or teachers unable to give him the attention he deserves because other students are misbehaving. He has made several Connections Academy friends that he is in contact with via email, and the opportunity is present for more social interaction in the future. I have been involved enough to feel that I know what is going on in his lessons, but the feeling of being spread too thin is completely gone. I can now enjoy the time spent with my other children who aren’t yet eligible to enroll in Connections Academy knowing that my son is receiving an excellent education right here under my own roof. He especially enjoys the multimedia presentations and technology used to present lessons, yet he also has access to excellent textbooks. Everything I could possibly desire for my child is here, without any of the drawbacks we experienced in a traditional classroom setting. I feel that Connections Academy is adequately preparing my student for more advanced studies. His ability to complete lessons and assignments has brought out his independence, and being required to handle participation in scheduled Live Lessons has increased his personal responsibility level.
For the 2009–10 academic year, another one of my children will be a student at Texas Connections Academy @ Houston, and I am looking forward to another successful year.