Teaching Outside the Box
Does your student’s teacher teach outside the box? Everyone wants their child to learn—but the “how” is definitive. Children boxed in a sterile classroom for hours on a day does little for their imagination. And, unless your student’s instructors teach outside the box, countless core curriculum mandates often leave teachers…
If you want to raise test scores, students must plan for success
A lot of common suggestions for raising test scores focus on test preparation, getting a good night’s sleep before an exam, and eating a good breakfast before heading for the test. And while these are great and important suggestions, the key to raising test scores starts long before the exam…
Heading to your local school board meeting? Start here
Do a quick online search for “tips for attending school board meetings,” and you’ll get quite a few hits. But before you jump in front of a mic or send off that email, let’s run through the basics of school boards so you know what you’re getting into. The…
Parents: It's Your Right to Know What Your Children are Being Taught
Kim is a mom from the Warwick School District. She and Warwick Parents for Change, a group of about 400 members, are fighting for parents’ voices to be heard on the school boards. Kim became especially passionate about curriculum after she discovered that students from kindergarten to 9th grade are…
Time to connect: How to find community while choosing to learn at home
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 11 percent of American students are now homeschooling. From the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year, alone, the number of homeschooling students doubled. Schooling at home is growing in popularity—and it seems the COVID-19 pandemic has only enhanced homeschooling’s curb…
Cyber School in Real Life
Thousands of new students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools in response to the pandemic, but there is often skepticism toward such schools. Hannah Bowser attended cyber school her entire K-12 career. She shares her experience and tips for new cyber parents and students. A successful cyber school experience combines…
Guia para empezar la escuela virtual
¿Usted está considerando la escuela virtual para sus hijos? Marc Leblond, experto en políticas de educación, explica cómo empezar y cuáles son las opciones para los padres residentes en Pensilvania: Mientras las escuelas a través del estado desarrollan protocolos de seguridad, sus agendas y la continuidad remota de los planes…
No Cyber School?
Many parents are considering a cyber charter school for the first time to help ensure their kids have access to a continuous education in a time of uncertainty. Unfortunately, due to unprecedented interest, almost every Pennsylvania cyber charter school is full, and with a waitlist. If you’re one of those…
Getting Started Guide to Cyber School
Thousands of new families have enrolled in one of Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools this past year. If you’re one of those families, you might be wondering what the upcoming school year will look like. Education expert and former cyber school mom Colleen Hroncich walks through the process of getting her family…
Enrolling in Cyber School
Considering cyber school for the first time? Education policy expert and cyber school parent Marc LeBlond explains how to get started and the options available for Pennsylvania parents: Charter schools are public, tuition-free schools open to all students. They are held to state academic and financial reporting standards, but they…
Cyber School Basics
What are cyber charter schools? Charter schools are public, tuition-free schools open to all students. They are held to state academic and financial reporting standards, but they have more flexibility than district schools in terms of curriculum, school calendar, length of school day, and teacher qualifications. More importantly, charter schools…