KABC TV Channel 7 (Los Angeles, CA) - Home Schools Connect to California Virtual Academy

KABC TV Channel 7 (Los Angeles, CA)
Home Schools Connect to California Virtual Academy
Connect to Network of Virtual Public Charter Schools
By Micah Ohlman

June 1, 2007

The day begins with the Pledge of Allegiance in Mrs. Sweet's classroom.

It's a classroom with four students, her children, and it's located in the family room of their home.

The classroom is connected by the Internet to what's known as the California Virtual Academy, or CAVA. It's a network of virtual public charter schools, funded by the state, and made up of more than 240 teachers and administrators throughout California.

"It is a public charter school, so we offer anything a public school would offer," Kiersten Myers, of CAVA, said.

With the guidance of teachers, parents help their children learn at home.

"We provide the materials, we provide a computer and printer for the families and it's free of charge, there is no tuition involved," Myers said.

Once a week, the kids are offered the chance to meet in what would be described as a traditional school setting, a chance to learn, to socialize, and to learn to socialize at regional school sites statewide.

Some parents do take issue with what they call a limited amount of social interaction. The community days are offered once a week. Teachers also run monthly outings, and students can attend any of those outings.

"People often ask me what about socialization? That is the major question and I always say they have time now, they do have time to socialize, they have time for after school programs," Denny Ashkenazi, a parent, said.

"When we found this program, they're accredited by the state, we have teachers, I'm really not their teacher. I guess I could be considered their teacher, but they have a teacher and we communicate with her daily if we need to," Tammy Sweet said.

In the Sweet family's classroom, kids are able to move at their own pace.

"You don't have to wait for other kids behind you, you can just move how slow or how fast you want," Logan Sweet said.

So for the Sweet family, and a growing number of others, this new approach to schooling is their version of homeroom.

California Virtual Academies (http://caliva.org )