Back to School Already!
DD~8 is still wondering what happened summer vacation. If she could drive a car her license plate ring would read: “I Rather Be Catching Lizards.” This year DD~8 and DD~14 will be homeschooling through K12′s virtual academy. I know some homeschool parents view the public school/homeschool option as an anathema to the freedom to homeschool, but for me K12 is an answer to my need for outside accountability and student independence.

What’s in those boxes?
A month ago we received two huge boxes of books and an ancient, refurbished computer from K12 for DD~8 going into the third grade. DD~8 opened all the boxes and browsed all of the books to see what her new school year would be like. The science books got a thumbs up. A majority of DD~8′s work will be done off line and self paced– a good thing. There has to be more to computer use than playing dress-up Barbie and interior decorating games. At first glance the third grade program seems solid, if not better than what I would cobble together on my own. After inspection, I shut the boxes for a few weeks. DD~8 and I like our summer vacation.

For the rest of the article, go to K12-Review and Initial Impressions

“The new name,” said Knox County Educational Service Center Superintendent Timm Mackley, “more accurately reflects what we do here. The two major options for students at the Learning Center are the Positive Reinforcement Education Program and the Virtual Academy.”

For the rest of the article, go to Learning Center gives its students options

Children play in the background as four local moms talk in the kitchen about Tennessee’s new public school option: the Tennessee Virtual Academy.

It is a Friday night, and three families participating in the new program are holding a potluck at the home of Dede Casteel, who took her 11-year-old daughter, Caroline, out of a brick-and-mortar school this year to study through the Tennessee Virtual Academy. The Internet-based program became available within the last two months, after a state law passed in July allowed any district to set up a virtual school.

For the rest of the article, go to Local students participate in new virtual school

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — Union County school officials say the state’s first virtual academy has enrolled more students than they expected.

The Tennessee Virtual Academy, known as TNVA, offers online classes for Kindergarten to eighth grade students. Any state resident student can apply — and it’s available at no cost the student’s family.

For the rest of the article, go to More students than expected enroll at TN Virtual Academy