Online School
About Online Schools
Online school . . . virtual school . . . what is the difference? Sometimes, when used, they mean different things, they tend to be used interchangeably, and will be on this website.
Some things to consider:
Online school can take the form of individual classes within your homeschool plan. For example, if you have a child who is much better at a particular subject than you are, you might have your student enroll in a single online class in that area while you guide the rest of their learning. Public schoolers can also take online classes in the evening to supplement their education.
Online school can also refer to full time enrollment in an accredited online program that takes complete responsibility for your child's education. While this is done at home, it technically isn't homeschooling.
Online school can range in cost from free to thousands of dollars a year. There are free online public school offerings. They generally require signing up during an open enrollment period (February - April) prior to the fall semester. Your student will be required to take whatever courses the system demands.
There are seemingly ZILLIONS of online schools and programs offering different degrees of help to parents, different costs, originating from different values systems (many are run by religious organizations.) On this page we aim to post recommendations from local parents to help you focus your search.
Remember, in the end it comes down to WHO is taking responsibility for educating your child. If it is you, that is considered homeschooling, even if you are delegating much of the teaching responsibilities to other groups in person or online. The public school can take that responsibility. An online school from anywhere can also take that responsibility.
Some Online Schools Locals Recommend
Abeka Academy
"I just wanted to suggest a curriculum that is very hands off for mom - Abeka Academy. They provide full instruction to children by either DVDs or online streaming. It is a very advanced curriculum so it’s completely okay to have your child do a year below grade level (mine always test very well on standardized tests). Abeka also has a free help line for high school students struggling with certain concepts and offer a full accreditation with transcripts and grades of the parent chooses. We have never used those services and are very “flexible” with our Abeka video (only doing very certain core class with them, the rest we do as a family). " -- Lindsey, from the Eau Claire area
Academy of Excellence
"My girls are on their second year of online schooling through Academy of Excellence (AoE). It is a brick and mortar school in Milwaukee that recently became part of the WPCP (Wisconsin Parental Choice Program) to offer an online charter option. They provide equipment, allow you to choose from various curriculums, pay for extracurriculars, and coordinate lots of field trip opportunities. My girls do BJU Press video classes, but also have regular group chats with their grades and individual chats with their teachers. It has been a wonderful option and blessing for our family!
-- Erin, Eau Claire
[Editor's note: Participation in the WPCP program means that some Wisconsin families will be able to attend tuition-free. The open enrollment period for this school is in April. You will probably not be able to register to attend in fall if you don't have all your paperwork done by April.]
Cameron Academy of Virtual Education (CAVE)
[Editor's note: Here is a great recommendation reprinted from the Education Options in the Chippewa Valley pdf.]
"We’re a Christian family that homeschools 1st and 3rd with the support of Cameron academy of virtual education (CAVE) out of Cameron, WI.
Elementary is preK-5. They have a middle school and high school level. High schoolers can take college courses for credit. Families can use Christian materials at their own expense, otherwise materials are funded by the school. Students are given chrome books and receive an internet stipend. Students also receive a $300 extra-curricular stipend.
We do Bookshark (aka Sonlight). The responsibilities to the school are minimal and there’s LOTs of flexibility. It’s a great option! -- From a participating family
"Homeschool Connections offers live, online classes but also offers the alternative of unlimited viewing of all their previously recorded classes for about $35 per month per family. In our home we really enjoyed Mr. Campbell's history classes. There were SO many to choose from!" -- Joyce, Menomonie
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"My 13 year old girl is doing Homeschool Connections, a Catholic online program, which for us involves a subscription to take whatever classes we choose. She loves it. She would prefer to take a few of the live classes they offer, which we plan to do next semester." -- Christine, Eau Claire
Landry Academy offers online science and math classes for grades 4 - 12.
"I would highly praise Landry Academy as they have Godly, well trained teachers and create a love of learning in our children!" -- Kelly, Wheeler