Return to site

Common Misconceptions about Virtual Charter School

Choosing a school for your child is always a big challenge. You want the best for them in terms of both educational quality and overall experience. So, opting for an online school in Pennsylvania might seem like a risky move, right? Not at all! There are a lot of misconceptions circulating about online charter schools, which often obscures the fact that they can offer many advantages for a student. Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about virtual charter schools and how they are incorrect:

Lack of Socialization

Socialization is an important part of a child's education, as it helps them learn how to interact with others in a constructive and successful manner. There may be no classes for this, but the simple act of being around other kids and teachers can help impart this knowledge. So, the theory goes, online classes will hinder social development; however, there are several reasons that this is untrue.

  1. Online communication – Using platforms like Skype, your child can talk with others in their class online as though they are actually in the same room.
  2. School field trips & special events – The charter school will offer face-to-face opportunities that you should be taking advantage of. These will allow your child to interact in person with the friends they meet online in class.
  3. Sports & other outside activities – School is not the only place that your child can be social with others. Get them involved with a sport, club, or other activity that they enjoy. You could even sign them up for local volunteer work with kids their age in your community.
  4. Online clubs – In addition to online classes, many schools will offer online clubs that their students can participate in.  This allows your child to meet and interact with students that they may not have met in one of their classes and identify peers with similar interests.

Lack of Support from Teachers

Many parents are also worried about whether or not their child will receive the help they require from teachers in an online environment. After all, the independent nature of the learning style makes it almost seem as though students are just doing everything themselves, or that the parent is supposed to be teaching them. So who's supposed to explain a confusing or complex concept?

Well, most online charter schools not only have easy avenues for your student to interact with teachers in real time; some of them also assign a family or learning coach who can track your child's progress and act as an intermediary for any other issues that come up. In this way, your child should never be left frustrated or unsure of who to approach or how to do well.

It's the Same as Homeschooling

Parents who are not familiar with virtual charter schools may mistakenly assume that they are very similar to homeschooling. After all, since the misconception is that there are few teachers and no students involved in online learning, it may seem no different from what you could do yourself. However, the resources available to your child through this avenue are far greater, and the number of teachers and their educational standards are comparable to those in a traditional school.

The main way in which homeschooling and online charter schools are similar is that they cater to the specific learning styles and proclivities of your child. In other words, they work with your student at their pace and learning level to offer them the most comprehensive experience possible.

If you are unsure about whether or not a virtual charter school would be a good fit for your child, contact the schools enrollment department so they can help answer your questions. Gary Scheer is available to answer your questions about financial advising.