Dissapointed with GA Virtual School?

November 10, 9:43 PMAtlanta Homeschooling ExaminerAndrea Hermitt

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Student taking online class
Creative Commons image by shareski's photostream/flickr

I have mentioned time and time again that GA Virtual School is in fact online school for homeschoolers.  Kids are considered to be public school students and their education is paid for by taxpayers.  Still many homeschooler enroll to receive the free education for their children. Some homeschoolers are frustrated, but many enjoy it.

In addition to established homeschoolers, former public and private school kids are also enrolling.  Unfortunately for one area mom who wanted a public school atmosphere at home, she was treated like a homeschooler, and was sorely disappointed.  Here is a bit of her experience.

"After hearing the media coverage, reviewing the web site of the Georgia Virtual Academy and attending the meeting they had at the Buckhead Library on Pharr Rd, I entered my fourth grade daughter in the lottery for the Georgia Virtual Academy... The entire time we were led to believe that this was going to be a true virtual computer learning environment where there were going to be interactive computer lessons online, that a teacher would be available constantly from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. .. I get a call from the teacher. She tells me that she has 120 students, and that she is only required to call each student and their coach (parent) every six weeks and talk to them for 20 minutes via the telephone. She then went on to say that she had 48 hours to respond to any question e-mailed to her... I was basically told then that this was homeschooling and that I was on my own. When I called — and after hours of holding — the school rep said, “Didn’t you understand that you are the coach, and it is like homeschooling.”
I told them no. I was told it was a virtual school."

There were dozens of responses, most suggesting that the mother in question wasn't paying attention when she enrolled her child into GA Virtual School.  They say the program makes it clear that this program relies on the parents to coach their own children.

I would love to hear from actual homeschoolers (people who homeschooled before using GVA) to find out how they feel about the program.  It seems that with this exception people going from public school to GVA love it.

Also read:

Pros and cons of Georgia Virtual Academy

Differences between Georgia Virtual Academy and GA Virtual School

(creative commons image by shareski/flickr)