One of the most common misconceptions about virtual schools is that they’re subpar to brick-and-mortar schools. This belief certainly makes sense after untrained teachers across the country scrambled to start teaching online during the Covid-19 pandemic. But when students are enrolled in accredited virtual schools that is certainly not the case.
In reality, virtual schools:
- Employ highly qualified teachers who are fully trained in the digital space
- Provide an education that’s comparable to local public or charter schools
- Are governed by the same state and federal education laws
- Provide all services as required by law to students with special needs
Virtual schools teach the exact same curriculum as brick and mortar schools. The curriculum may be slightly different, but it meets all of the requirements set forth by the government. This includes the core subject areas along with required courses such as health, physical education, arts, languages, and music.
The main difference between the education students receives in a virtual school as opposed to a brick-and-mortar school is that it’s taught in a very high-tech sort of way. Instead of making posters in class, virtual students are more likely to watch interactive videos and create multimedia presentations.
A virtual classroom also allows the students to work in small groups on customizable lessons and these small group rooms ensure that students at the same learning level work together, so no one gets lost or bored.
Students are able to better focus on academics in a virtual environment. Instead of getting influenced by cliques, peer pressure, or bullying virtual students can focus on learning and teachers are overwhelmed by the social culture that oftentimes penetrates the classroom.
Health concerns around students getting exposed to contagious diseases, lice and exposure to school violence are eliminated when students go to a virtual school. Students who attend virtual school are able to spend more time with family members which strengthens the family bonds. These students are also spared peer pressure in areas like inappropriate pranks and activities, drug and alcohol use, sexual behaviors and bullying.
Lastly, virtual students need socialization just as much as students in the traditional classroom do. So many families enroll their children in community sports, music, art, volunteer, or social programs to get their children out in the world interacting on a regular basis. And many virtual schools have both virtual and in-person extracurricular activities for your child to choose from.
The quality of a virtual education is comparable to that of a traditional classroom. Choosing the right school that fits the needs of your family is the most important decision you can make. For many families, the health and safety of their kids is the most important driver and virtual education keeps them safe.