CBS 11 (Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX) Texas Virtual Academy Offers Public School Online

Oct. 23, 2007 - Thousands of Texas families homeschool their children, but now a public school is offering daily classwork without the classroom. The Texas Virtual Academy is right on the World Wide Web. The State of Texas pays for it and North Texas families are enrolling. Students access their daily academic work on home computers.

Aleta Allen's children aren't in school today; they don't attend a public or private campus, but class is always in session. The home schooling mom gets her children's school day from an online computer-based program. It's public school on the internet.

"They don't have to go sit on their rear ends in a public school system and get prodded and poked and bullied around by other kids," Allen explained. "I didn’t want them to have to do that."

The academy provides families a computer, books, even science lab materials.

'Ours is kind of unique model of students schooling in their home, but having all the benefits of public school," said Mary Gifford of Texas Virtual Academy. "They have a standardized curriculum approved by the state. They have to take all the state tests."

The Texas Education Agency pays the academy about $5,000 per student, but the school is free for families. The company has 100 children enrolled in Dallas and 200 more in Houston.

The only programs currently being offered are for 3rd-8th grade.

Texas Virtual Academy is a charter school, so students must show academic progress, or the state will take away public funding.

Click here for more information about Texas Virtual Academy.