About Us
Why K12?
Safety Needs
How Students Succeed
FAQs
Online Elementary School
Online Middle School
Career and College Prep
Online High School
Student Clubs
Career and College Services
Inside the Online Classroom
A Day in the Life
Social & Extracurricular
Advice, Tips & Inspiration
Benefits for Life
Enroll
All School Options
Need More Help?Meet Klara, Keegan, Zoe, and JessieAnn
Zoe and Keegan excel academically and socially, balancing special education with time for occupational and speech therapy sessions. Klara loves her science classes and JessieAnn plans for a medical career with honors-level courses and career prep.
Why This Family Chose K12
Mom and Learning Coach Windy chose K12 as a consistent, high-quality alternative to the distance learning option provided by their local school. She likes that the teachers are state-certified and trained to teach online.
Connect with support services
K12 listens to concerns about disabilities like autism and ADHD. Zoe and Keegan receive confidence-building counseling and support services.
Trade commute for quality time
Living in the mountains, the kids used to lose a good portion of their day to the school bus. Now they have time for soccer and clubs.
Sail ahead with advanced opportunities
To get ready for life after graduation, JessieAnn chooses challenging honors classes and career-focused electives.
Overcoming Challenges
Windy has seen dramatic academic and social improvements since her children began learning with K12. Keegan uses speech-to-text tools to bring his writing up to speed, while support services have helped Zoe advance up to three grade levels in reading, writing, and math.
It was hard to get what they needed at their old school, but their online school immediately listened to Windy and set up supports. They participate in special education classes, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and counseling—all while maintaining their regular class schedule and avoiding feelings of isolation from their classmates.
Flexible Schedule With Live Class Anchors
Schoolwork for this family is a mix of scheduled, live online classes, self-guided assignments they can complete at their own pace, and special education services like speech and occupational therapy. Plus, JessieAnn takes advanced and career-focused courses.
A benefit of schools powered by K12 is that the required educational materials are provided, such as a computer, textbooks, supplies for offline activities, and more!
Curriculum
The number of classes students take varies per grade level and individual. For example, elementary students like Klara, Keegan, and Zoe typically take 4–6 subjects each semester, with maybe 2–4 of those requiring scheduled, live classes. High school students like JessieAnn, typically take 3–6 subjects each semester, with 2–3 scheduled, live classes.
In addition to core academic subjects, there’s a great selection of career electives and options for advanced leaners.
The Parent Experience as a Learning Coach
At K12-powered schools, parents (or other responsible adults) act as Learning Coaches for their students. Learning Coaches typically spend between 4–6 hours each day for elementary school students, and 1–3 hours per day for high school students. Windy leans on support from the K12 community while she guides the learning of her four kids at home.
Preparing for a Future Career in Healthcare
Through career exploration at school, JessieAnn knows she wants to work in a research lab rather than directly with patients. She’s making the most of Career and College Prep by taking specialized classes like medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, joining career clubs, and even earning early college credit by taking courses at the local college.
Extracurriculars and Clubs
Without a lengthy commute, JessieAnn can fit more extracurriculars into her schedule. She’s active in her school’s SkillsUSA chapter, plays acoustic guitar at the Rock and Roll Academy, and even teamed up with a few friends to create a new, student-led mental health club. On top of that, she’s in two honor societies and is learning Arabic.
Time away from the computer looks like …
Family Q&A
Windy: It was a little scary at first, not knowing if we made the right choice. Once we made the transition, though, it made sense and fell into place once we received our materials and got started.
JessieAnn: Honestly, at first, it was hard because I missed my friends, basketball, and band. Once I realized that online school gave me even more options for clubs and ways to be social than I had at my old school, though, I got myself involved and made some really great friends.
Windy: We like online school because we have more opportunities to be together as a family. And the level of support we’ve received for Keegan and Zoe’s special learning needs has been so helpful. I’ve seen all my children’s confidence increase since being in online school.
JessieAnn: I like challenging myself, and at online school, I get to pick the level of the classes I take. I can take honors U.S. history and have access to more electives. Not to mention the distractions. I don’t have to deal with the issues that come with having more than 30 teenagers in the same room.
Windy: Organization, technology, and a lot of timers. We have the electronic assistant announce all the class, snack, and break times. That helps the kids stay on track and manage their free time once their schoolwork is finished for the day.
JessieAnn: It’s really nice to have more family time throughout the school day. We have dinners where we all ask about each other’s days, and it’s cool because we’ve already been a part of them. I can also ask my mom questions if I’m confused about anything, build a fire with my family, or play with our dogs.
Windy: The kids actually get to be more social now because we have more control over our schedule and don’t have to worry about the bus ride. They’re all into athletics. We’re thinking about adding in basketball. K12 also offers activities where we can go meet other online school families in our area.
JessieAnn: Besides my friends from school and all my clubs, I met my best friend through being a soccer referee. Since my siblings play and I’m too old for the league, I figured I’d make some money and be able to support my siblings.
Windy: The biggest thing for me was that K12-powered schools have state-certified teachers. I wasn’t going to have to be the teacher or understand, say, trigonometry on my own. That was a big relief.
Windy: The biggest surprise was the learning materials. K12 sends everything you need—every book for the full year, lesson guides, science equipment, art supplies, math manipulatives, even the computers and printers. And the quality is amazing! I was very impressed, especially with my experience working in the local school.
Windy: Just stick with it. You have a whole community of teachers, staff, and other Learning Coaches like me who have been there and are ready to support you and your family.
Other Stories You Might Find Helpful
3rd Grade
Willa
Willa’s school schedule includes live reading and art classes, independent math studies, and the flexibility for dance and chess breaks.
5th Grade
Cash
Cash got access to advanced courses, as well as dyslexia and dysgraphia therapies when he switched from homeschool to online school.
9th Grade
Arianna
Arianna’s school schedule lets her work at her own pace while taking entrepreneurship courses to help run her bakery business.
Learning With K12
From kindergarten to high school, K12 provides tuition-free online education that empowers students to learn in ways that work for them. Browse options in your state to find the perfect fit for your family.
These are the stories of real students attending K12-powered schools and their families. Content is a combination of direct quotes and summaries from interviews. Their stories each reflect their experiences at their respective schools. Actual experiences can vary by student and school. These pages are designed to reflect a typical day in the life of a student attending an online K12-powered school. Individual class schedules and requirements will vary by state, school, and the individual needs of each student. Course materials vary, and certain schools may not provide computers or may have specific requirements for providing equipment.