While activists and lobbyists in Washington, D.C., wrangle over the federal education bureaucracy, much of the important action on school choice has been taking place in state capitals. Governors and legislatures in more than a dozen states are considering ways to give students and their families better access to quality learning opportunities that meet their individual needs.
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Student says virtual school helps her focus on music
A central Toledo teen is learning to connect with people from various cultures through music while taking a new approach to her education.
Lydia Napier, 16, recently enrolled as a 10th grader in the Ohio Virtual Academy, a full-time online public charter school for kindergarten through 12th grade. While it’s different from going to a physical school, Miss Napier said the virtual academy has the demands of a regular school.
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Protect online charter funding
I have two boys, ages 12 and 14. Today, they are both doing very well in school, but it was not always that way. My oldest son has dyslexia and my youngest has epilepsy, Tourette’s and a severe food allergy, and for years they both struggled in the traditional school setting.
But thankfully, we were fortunate enough to have the choice to enroll our sons in one of Michigan’s online charter public schools. It took us time to come to this decision, but it was far and away the best decision we could have ever made for our boys.
Both of my sons are now thriving, and it’s because we were afforded the opportunity to seek out both a school and a setting that best meets their specific needs.
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How to Use Technology to Help Your Generation Z Student Learn
Generation Z is the latest generation of students to go through the education system. This tech-savvy generation is keen to use technology, but they need guidance to help them make the most of its benefits.
Click here to check out some tips for using technology to improve Gen Z student learning.
Virtual schools increasing in popularity
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Virtual schools are increasing in popularity. These schools are different than charter schools. It’s an online-based curriculum and virtual schools give students who may not have any other options a chance of graduating high school with a diploma.
For the Quinn Family in Carmel, learning is a kind of choice.
“I don’t feel like any of my children fit in the traditional box,” said Lynette Quinn. ”My little one has autism high functioning autism he’s very bright but a traditional environment is very over stimulating for him.”
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The School Choice Movement That Puts Parents in Charge, Not the Government
WASHINGTON -- It is a question many parents have to consider: Where will I send my child to school? A new movement, called the school choice program, is working to give parents more options to answer that question.
Tenth grader Amaria Jones is learning about biology at Cornerstone, a Christian school in Washington, D.C. that she managed to get into thanks to school choice.
"I'm able to have more time to learn, I guess, and also go to teachers for extra help," the teen told CBN News.
Her mom, Chrystal Jones, noted, "She is excited about getting up every day to get here on time to learn and maintain her grades."
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Opinion: The values of school choice
A child calls himself “dumb” after 6 years of failing grades. A boy has chemicals put in his milk by the rest of the boys in his class. A super creative, artistic student feels stifled by the structure of her school classes. Anxiety makes it hard for a teenager to get out of bed, let alone to the big union high school in the next town.
These are some of the children of our community and they, like all kids, deserve and need the opportunity to be successful in school. These are some of the kids for whom school choice can make the difference, literally and figuratively, between life and death.
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Online school offers new kind of study for at-risk students
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A new online-only high school in St. Louis is allowing at-risk students a chance to get their diplomas.
St. Louis Public Radio (http://bit.ly/2nennGN ) reports that Workforce High is operated jointly by St. Louis Public Schools and the city's job agency, St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE). It uses the same online curriculum as the district's three alternative schools and four credit-recovery programs. Twenty students are participating.
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Reeder: Education should not be determined by zip code
SPRINGFIELD – The subject of school choice has come to the forefront in recent weeks with the appointment of Betsy DeVos as the U.S. Education Secretary. When folks debate the merits of school choice, I can’t help but smile. The fact of the matter is we already have school choice in America. Click here to keep reading.
Free Online Science Learning Activities for Kids (Kindergarten–High School)
Many students find that their ability to learn and retain information improves when they enjoy the learning process. Supplemental online learning activities can be a great way to make learning fun. If your students say they don’t like science or are not able to learn it, maybe they just haven’t discovered the learning tools that work best for them. Introduce them to new ways they can learn challenging subjects, and you may find their learning ability vastly improves.
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