I honestly probably could have talked for 2 more hours in really tedious detail 😆 I actually did cut out a ton to try and not keep everyone glued to this for too long. After seeing the way education can be truly life giving when done right, I’ll never go back. I hope whatever you decide to do it will be a really positive thing for you guys!
@TheIncredibleWarriorFamily we are looking to leave k12 right now as well. We need something that meets the same needs as your family. What program are you doing now? I would love to hear about the solution you have found as I'm looking
My son was just "accepted" to the Miami-Dade online Academy, then I see it's K12 platform. I have cried this whole last week and yelled more at him because of us being so stressed due to the amount of tedious NONSENSE busy work!!! He just started 6th grade! I pulled him out of a Law Academy program in person in Miami-Dade Co in FL because of bullying but my goodness...there is absolutely NO flexibility! I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! Only nice thing is his teachers have called him personally.
I’m so sorry you guys have experienced that level of stress from this. It absolutely should not be this way. Education should be Lifegiving but K12 has made it quite the opposite. It is absolutely an insane amount of busy work. And it’s so unhealthy.
Hey! I just sat through your video because I have been struggling with similiar opinions about VAVA K12. I have 4, the oldest in VAVA middle and the other three in elementary. I actually find the middle school to work for my oldest (for now) and she did well with it. I homeschooled the other three last year, but as I was returning to school as a full-time college student myself this year, I was hoping for the flexibility. It feels like a completely different program compared to the middle school and my younger kids, who are usually engaged with school and enjoy it, are hating it. I hate it. I'm about to pull them. I have been fighting with it some, but I think your video helped highlight some of my own concerns and solidify my decision. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Also, I wanted to say as a fellow army wife, I'm sorry they failed your husband. It's very army of them to do.
This is my first year starting homeschooling. I have a Tk and 5th grader. We went with k12 and let me tell you my 5th grader is struggling HARD especially with the math. :-/. And honestly so am I. I want our homeschool journey to be fun and engaging and all this is doing is stressing us all out. There is zero instruction and when I asked for help I was told to look it up on UA-cam. I am actively looking for a new platform.
I think VAVA is more procured for high school students. I'm a junior this year and have been with VAVA for two years now. The curriculum is broader and more advanced than if I were still in public school. The schedule is flexible even as I have had two different jobs, left time for myself and my hobbies, and maintained close relationships with friends and family. The school prepares students to be independent and learn life-long skills such as time management. VAVA allows students to learn at their own pace while still maintaining quarterly deadlines because they will deal with those as they grow, it's inevitable. With all that being said, having younger children enrolled in an online school is probably not the best way to keep them engaged because at the end of the day, they are at home behind a screen. It works for some but not all which is fine, but if you feel as if your child isn't receiving the proper brain nourishment and engagement for their age groups, it's definitely time to switch programs or consider old-school parent/child homeschooling.
Heyyy, I’m a sophomore this year and I’m thinking about doing VAVA is it really worth it starting as a sophomore and I’m not really sure if you have to pay.
I have a 3rd grader and 1st grader who started today and im highly stressed out. Idk how im supposed to do this with working full time, and i work from home! I thought it would be more flexible. Plus, the fact that doing online work doesnt auto track in attendence is crazy.
Oh man that’s so hard. They unfortunately are not up front about how much work it is on the part of the parents. I thought it would be easier than regular homeschooling but it’s actually way more stress than just doing it on your own. I’m sorry you guys are having a rough start!
So where are you enrolling your kids ? Because I just enrolled my daughter there but now I’m concerned like super please let us know what is the next best option ? Flexibility is key and no anxiety
Flexibility was the biggest factor for us as well. So when K12 went further and further away from that the stress increase was unreal. We aren’t enrolled with a program. We do traditional homeschooling where I pick out their curriculum. I avoided that for a long time because it seemed so much harder than enrolling in a program. But then I realized that what we were doing by being in a program NOT tailor made for us was actually more stress and anxiety in the long run. Now that I know what courses and learning style works best for us it’s super chill. I know there are some decent programs out there but I will always advocate for traditional homeschooling because you as a parent know your child best and are the best candidate to curate their education 💜
Thanks so much for this video, I was looking into K12 but wow this is an eye opener. Can you advise what homeschool program you will be starting? Im researching for my soon to be 7th grader. Thanks a bunch! :)
I’m so glad it was helpful! There are so many great homeschool options out there. We aren’t using one specific program. I know there are some well loved online programs but after doing that type of thing we went a different route. I pick curriculum for each subject individually because after a ton of research I realized that while one company might make a terrific math program, someone else does history better. I like to really tailor things as much as possible to each kid so that works well. It kind of seems overwhelming at first but it gets easier. I always recommend people start by asking themselves so I want faith based or secular courses? That right there is going to eliminate 50% of the options. We wanted as much faith based as possible so I would then search things like “Christian math homeschool curriculum” and look to see which ones fit my kids learning style. Another really helpful thing to factor in for middle school and high school would be any future life plans. If for example they know they want to do something with animals as a career, you can foster that passion in them and prep for that! You could do the obvious science that’s centered around animals but also incorporate it in other ways. In English use novel studies where animals are centered. In history do a unit on animals that impacted major events, have them volunteer with animals…the possibilities are really limitless when you start to customize their education. I have a link I’ll share that has a data base on curriculum that helps a lot! I just have to go locate it lol
I live in NC and when I first started homeschooling I started out with k12. My daughter was 5 then. I did k-12 for about 2 years and quit. I just started buying my own curriculum and doing homeschool. I did it because they said it was flexible but, in my opinion it isn't. I want to teach my girls what I want and not what they say I have to teach. In NC it is easy to homeschool. You could teach what ever and that is what we like. Good luck.
I love that for you guys. I’m so glad you are doing whatever allows you the flexibility you need. You are so right about the flexibility. They say it’s flexible but beyond just being at home it really isn’t flexible. I hope you guys have a wonderful school year!
I wish I could give you a more firm answer. Since we haven’t used other online schools I’m hesitant to officially recommend anything. But I have heard good things about Penn Foster and Connections Academy. The one thing I do recommend is joining a homeschool Facebook group (if you haven’t already) and ask there. You’ll be able to find others who have used those programs and get a solid recommendation.
The actual curriculum is the same nation wide with very little differences from state to state. So that’s the problem with seeking it out in another state. The same coursework and website issues mentioned here will be the same. The only difference will be some policy issues dictated by the state or partner districts.
I truly hate that for you guys. Education should not cause burn out. I’m so glad you are putting those needs first and choosing a different path. Lucy and Tag have a whole new outlook on learning since leaving.
How are you doing schooling??? I want to get my kids out of k12 but I'm not sure how to do homeschool on my own, is there someone you have to report to ? Do you still have to do testing ?? Please help 😳
What state are you guys in? Each state has different laws on how to homeschool so that is the first step. I HIGHLY recommend looking for a Facebook group that is for your state. I did this and just searched something like “Homeschooling in Virginia” and got several options for groups that have been super helpful! To give you an idea of what the process is in Virginia we kind of have a moderate level of government oversight. For example when we decide to homeschool we have to send our county a Notice of Intent, so they know we are homeschooling. Then every August parents submit what’s called Proof of Progress. This is either standardized test scores or it can simply be a letter written by a qualified person saying this student has made sufficient progress for the year. We don’t have to track anything here beyond that. Some states require a homeschool parent to track attendance. Some states have practically no rules or oversight. The biggest hurdle is just learning what your requirements are and how to make it work for your family. Both of our kids have traumatic brain injuries so standardized testing doesn’t work. We opted to have evaluation letters done to meet that proof of progress requirement. You can do this! Don’t let the process overwhelm you. There is so much support out there.
The independent study is basically their courses that you pay for. So yes it’s different in that you don’t deal with the school policies I discussed in the second part of the video. It’s not different when it comes to the first part of the video. Their curriculum is not one I would ever again endorse. It’s actually expensive compared to other better versions. Their courses don’t follow the science behind brain health and does not promote retention. Educational studies prove their approach is flawed. I would personally look elsewhere for curriculum that supports a love of learning and promotes retention.
I can not wait to hear this!! We are with k12 in SC and thinking of doing a switch...
I honestly probably could have talked for 2 more hours in really tedious detail 😆 I actually did cut out a ton to try and not keep everyone glued to this for too long. After seeing the way education can be truly life giving when done right, I’ll never go back. I hope whatever you decide to do it will be a really positive thing for you guys!
Hey I'm in SC too doing k12. I honestly don't like it at all but everyone is different I hope you have a better experience
@TheIncredibleWarriorFamily we are looking to leave k12 right now as well. We need something that meets the same needs as your family. What program are you doing now? I would love to hear about the solution you have found as I'm looking
My son was just "accepted" to the Miami-Dade online Academy, then I see it's K12 platform. I have cried this whole last week and yelled more at him because of us being so stressed due to the amount of tedious NONSENSE busy work!!! He just started 6th grade! I pulled him out of a Law Academy program in person in Miami-Dade Co in FL because of bullying but my goodness...there is absolutely NO flexibility! I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! Only nice thing is his teachers have called him personally.
I’m so sorry you guys have experienced that level of stress from this. It absolutely should not be this way. Education should be Lifegiving but K12 has made it quite the opposite. It is absolutely an insane amount of busy work. And it’s so unhealthy.
I said it before but I'll say it again, loving the bangs 🥰
Thank you! Lol that’s so nice even though they were kind of a mess here 😂
Hey! I just sat through your video because I have been struggling with similiar opinions about VAVA K12. I have 4, the oldest in VAVA middle and the other three in elementary. I actually find the middle school to work for my oldest (for now) and she did well with it. I homeschooled the other three last year, but as I was returning to school as a full-time college student myself this year, I was hoping for the flexibility. It feels like a completely different program compared to the middle school and my younger kids, who are usually engaged with school and enjoy it, are hating it. I hate it. I'm about to pull them. I have been fighting with it some, but I think your video helped highlight some of my own concerns and solidify my decision. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Also, I wanted to say as a fellow army wife, I'm sorry they failed your husband. It's very army of them to do.
This is my first year starting homeschooling. I have a Tk and 5th grader. We went with k12 and let me tell you my 5th grader is struggling HARD especially with the math. :-/. And honestly so am I. I want our homeschool journey to be fun and engaging and all this is doing is stressing us all out. There is zero instruction and when I asked for help I was told to look it up on UA-cam. I am actively looking for a new platform.
I think VAVA is more procured for high school students. I'm a junior this year and have been with VAVA for two years now. The curriculum is broader and more advanced than if I were still in public school. The schedule is flexible even as I have had two different jobs, left time for myself and my hobbies, and maintained close relationships with friends and family. The school prepares students to be independent and learn life-long skills such as time management. VAVA allows students to learn at their own pace while still maintaining quarterly deadlines because they will deal with those as they grow, it's inevitable. With all that being said, having younger children enrolled in an online school is probably not the best way to keep them engaged because at the end of the day, they are at home behind a screen. It works for some but not all which is fine, but if you feel as if your child isn't receiving the proper brain nourishment and engagement for their age groups, it's definitely time to switch programs or consider old-school parent/child homeschooling.
That’s great that you are having a positive experience. We hope you have a great junior year and a wonderful senior year
My 7th grader is struggling an hates it in class 8am to 415pm plus class work and testing etc k12 is too much
Heyyy, I’m a sophomore this year and I’m thinking about doing VAVA is it really worth it starting as a sophomore and I’m not really sure if you have to pay.
I have a 3rd grader and 1st grader who started today and im highly stressed out. Idk how im supposed to do this with working full time, and i work from home! I thought it would be more flexible. Plus, the fact that doing online work doesnt auto track in attendence is crazy.
Oh man that’s so hard. They unfortunately are not up front about how much work it is on the part of the parents. I thought it would be easier than regular homeschooling but it’s actually way more stress than just doing it on your own. I’m sorry you guys are having a rough start!
So where are you enrolling your kids ? Because I just enrolled my daughter there but now I’m concerned like super please let us know what is the next best option ? Flexibility is key and no anxiety
Flexibility was the biggest factor for us as well. So when K12 went further and further away from that the stress increase was unreal. We aren’t enrolled with a program. We do traditional homeschooling where I pick out their curriculum. I avoided that for a long time because it seemed so much harder than enrolling in a program. But then I realized that what we were doing by being in a program NOT tailor made for us was actually more stress and anxiety in the long run. Now that I know what courses and learning style works best for us it’s super chill. I know there are some decent programs out there but I will always advocate for traditional homeschooling because you as a parent know your child best and are the best candidate to curate their education 💜
Thanks so much for this video, I was looking into K12 but wow this is an eye opener. Can you advise what homeschool program you will be starting? Im researching for my soon to be 7th grader. Thanks a bunch! :)
I’m so glad it was helpful! There are so many great homeschool options out there. We aren’t using one specific program. I know there are some well loved online programs but after doing that type of thing we went a different route. I pick curriculum for each subject individually because after a ton of research I realized that while one company might make a terrific math program, someone else does history better. I like to really tailor things as much as possible to each kid so that works well. It kind of seems overwhelming at first but it gets easier. I always recommend people start by asking themselves so I want faith based or secular courses? That right there is going to eliminate 50% of the options. We wanted as much faith based as possible so I would then search things like “Christian math homeschool curriculum” and look to see which ones fit my kids learning style. Another really helpful thing to factor in for middle school and high school would be any future life plans. If for example they know they want to do something with animals as a career, you can foster that passion in them and prep for that! You could do the obvious science that’s centered around animals but also incorporate it in other ways. In English use novel studies where animals are centered. In history do a unit on animals that impacted major events, have them volunteer with animals…the possibilities are really limitless when you start to customize their education. I have a link I’ll share that has a data base on curriculum that helps a lot! I just have to go locate it lol
Here it is! This website is full of reviews and it’s incredibly helpful! cathyduffyreviews.com/?#
I live in NC and when I first started homeschooling I started out with k12. My daughter was 5 then. I did k-12 for about 2 years and quit. I just started buying my own curriculum and doing homeschool. I did it because they said it was flexible but, in my opinion it isn't. I want to teach my girls what I want and not what they say I have to teach. In NC it is easy to homeschool. You could teach what ever and that is what we like. Good luck.
I love that for you guys. I’m so glad you are doing whatever allows you the flexibility you need. You are so right about the flexibility. They say it’s flexible but beyond just being at home it really isn’t flexible. I hope you guys have a wonderful school year!
@@TheIncredibleWarriorFamily Thanks. Same to you.
Fl resident here and thinking of taking my kids out of a public charter to online home school … any recommendations? The other options I see are $$$$
Thank you for this. is there a online school you would recommend?
I wish I could give you a more firm answer. Since we haven’t used other online schools I’m hesitant to officially recommend anything. But I have heard good things about Penn Foster and Connections Academy. The one thing I do recommend is joining a homeschool Facebook group (if you haven’t already) and ask there. You’ll be able to find others who have used those programs and get a solid recommendation.
@@TheIncredibleWarriorFamily Thank you so much 😊
The actual curriculum is the same nation wide with very little differences from state to state. So that’s the problem with seeking it out in another state. The same coursework and website issues mentioned here will be the same. The only difference will be some policy issues dictated by the state or partner districts.
Yes the number of time we've been burnt out....my child is leaving k12 this year. I mean evn i was burnt out more than my child.
I truly hate that for you guys. Education should not cause burn out. I’m so glad you are putting those needs first and choosing a different path. Lucy and Tag have a whole new outlook on learning since leaving.
How are you doing schooling??? I want to get my kids out of k12 but I'm not sure how to do homeschool on my own, is there someone you have to report to ? Do you still have to do testing ?? Please help 😳
What state are you guys in? Each state has different laws on how to homeschool so that is the first step. I HIGHLY recommend looking for a Facebook group that is for your state. I did this and just searched something like “Homeschooling in Virginia” and got several options for groups that have been super helpful! To give you an idea of what the process is in Virginia we kind of have a moderate level of government oversight. For example when we decide to homeschool we have to send our county a Notice of Intent, so they know we are homeschooling. Then every August parents submit what’s called Proof of Progress. This is either standardized test scores or it can simply be a letter written by a qualified person saying this student has made sufficient progress for the year. We don’t have to track anything here beyond that. Some states require a homeschool parent to track attendance. Some states have practically no rules or oversight. The biggest hurdle is just learning what your requirements are and how to make it work for your family. Both of our kids have traumatic brain injuries so standardized testing doesn’t work. We opted to have evaluation letters done to meet that proof of progress requirement. You can do this! Don’t let the process overwhelm you. There is so much support out there.
But isn’t there a independent study that is parent led on k12. I see it on their website as such. Is that different?
The independent study is basically their courses that you pay for. So yes it’s different in that you don’t deal with the school policies I discussed in the second part of the video. It’s not different when it comes to the first part of the video. Their curriculum is not one I would ever again endorse. It’s actually expensive compared to other better versions. Their courses don’t follow the science behind brain health and does not promote retention. Educational studies prove their approach is flawed. I would personally look elsewhere for curriculum that supports a love of learning and promotes retention.