What is Connections Academy and How Does It Work 2022

Connections Academy is one of the leading echos available in the United States .

My daughter started with Connections Academy as 1/7 grader in 2019 .

And before Connections , we were a traditional home school family if there is such a thing .

And we used a variety of curriculum and teaching techniques .

And after three years of home schooling , it became apparent that one of my Children was struggling and that's when I began searching for options .

If you want to hear more about why we needed to look into other options .

Check out this video right here where she's going to share her personal experience with Connections Academy a full year after being enrolled .

So I get asked a lot of questions about Connections Academy .

People are curious to know what it is , how it works and how we like it .

In this video .

I'm going to be answering 12 of the most common questions I get starting right now .

Connections Academy supported schools are tuition free online public schools for grades K through 12 .

This is a unique program that combines the strong parental involvement of home schooling , personal expertise and accountability and a flexible learning environment .

To find out if Connections Academy is available in your area .

The website is going to be in the description below and oh , while you're down there , what grade are your Children in ?

And why are you looking into something like Academy ?

Let me know in the comments section .

I love getting to meet other parents who are just trying to do what's best for their kids and keep their sanity during this really unique season we're in , I can't tell you how many parents I talked to who are struggling with the way traditional public schools have been trying to go back to school after the pandemic .

It's not their fault really .

It's just that most of them weren't equipped to handle online classrooms and many families aren't either .

This is just another reason .

I'm so thankful for Connections Academy .

Ok .

On to the next question , we chose Connections Academy because they provided a personalized school experience where my student could learn and grow along with an IEP plan for one of my Children who is dyslexic .

They provide support and encouragement for students at their level .

So Connections Academy supported by Pearson curriculum curriculum includes all the core courses , electives and , and social opportunities .

My student needed connections .

Academy teachers specialize in online learning and they work with parents .

So together we set individual goals to ensure that my student learns .

We chose Connections Academy because we believe it's going to prepare my daughter for whatever she chooses to do in the future , whether that includes college tech training or career readiness , you're gonna get curriculum connections .

Academy families receive a combination of textbooks , online textbooks , workbooks , comprehensive lesson plans and enrichment courses .

You're gonna need to pick up some basic supplies , like notebooks , pencils , pens , loose leaf paper , things like that .

I usually spend between 10 and $25 on supplies at the beginning of the school year .

And throughout the year , you might need to pick up a few extra items for special projects like bean seeds or poster boards .

You're also going to need internet access and a computer .

Some schools do offer tops , but that's something you're gonna need to look into for your state specific connections .

Academy , you're also gonna get awesome teachers , connections , academy , teachers work one on one with students and their parents to instruct review assignments and customize the curriculum .

The teachers have been great at providing extra help when we're struggling .

So you just have to reach out and let them know .

You're also gonna get technology families receive online communication planning and learning management tools , online lessons and library resources and technology literacy courses .

Depending on the state and school , you might receive a computer and a subsidy for internet access .

But again , check the website for your state .

Although connections , academy and home schooling have some similarities .

Connections .

Academy is not home schooling .

All connections academies , schools are public school programs .

Connections .

Academy schools provide a defined set of curriculum material that has been specifically aligned to or local standards .

And they use certified teachers to evaluate student performance , including decisions about whether your child will get to move up a grade at the end of the year .

And all Connections Academy students are required to take state standardized tests , which leads me to the next question .

Unfortunately .

Yes , because Connections Academy is a public school .

Students are required to complete state testing .

This is done in a separate location under the guidance of certified teachers .

I'm not a huge fan of standardized testing , but that's just me .

I have to say though , the locations and times of the state testing is also not convenient .

If you work , we had to drive an hour and a half one way , be there by 8 a.m. and stay till 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday .

That's a big commitment and a really far drive to drop them off at the center and try to drive home and then turn around and go back to the center again .

It's just not possible .

So I ended up having to stay in a parking lot for four hours , four days a week and I also have a toddler .

So I had to find arrangements for him because it just was definitely not gonna work to sit in a parking lot for four hours , not including the hour and a half drive time to get to the testing center one way and back So it's honestly the only complaint I have about the entire connections Academy set up sections .

Academy gives your child a unique virtual classroom experience after enrollment , both you and your child are given special log in information and the lessons are planned out for you and you can find them through both your students login and your own .

Of course , materials are sent to your house prior to the start of the school year .

Depending on your child's grade level .

The materials that you're to receive may include things like manipulatives for math , like base 10 blocks and fraction strips , science tools like goggles , magnets , beakers , thermometers , things like an art kit that you'll get with like construction paper and paintbrushes .

You may even get something like a gym kit , which would include something like , I don't know , a jump rope , a yoga DVD , stuff like that .

Connections academies developed their curriculum to align with each state's standards as well as national standards .

The language , arts and math curriculum do align with common core standards .

The curriculum is set up to work for so many different styles of learning .

And it's been a really easy transition for my daughter who started Connections Academy two years ago now to go from traditional home schooling where we didn't use common core to common core with Connections Academy .

I believe she actually started understanding things just a little bit better when we swapped .

Yes , your child will be assigned a homeroom teacher every month , your teacher is gonna give you a call to check in and see how things are going .

The teachers are going to give you important updates to answer any questions or concerns you might have and they're gonna chat with your student to make sure that they're on track .

So these teachers can be reached by phone or web mail .

Any time you have a question or concern about something they're there to help you where I live connections .

Academy requires students to have contact with their teacher at least once a week .

This contact can come in the form of attending live lessons and making their monthly phone call .

Yes , live lessons are an important part of connections .

Academy .

They're exactly what they sound like live virtual lessons with a teacher for all the students in your grade .

The subjects for live lessons vary by grade and these sessions last between 30 minutes to an hour .

Live lessons are really important because teachers are going to explain the concepts found in the lesson plans .

They're also going to give your child an opportunity to ask questions and engage with their other classmates while they're learning .

Well , that depends attendance requirements for live lessons , depend on your state and your child's grade .

I live in Tennessee and live lessons are not mandatory but students are encouraged to attend as many as possible .

The live lessons are always recorded .

So if your student misses a live lesson , they can go back and watch the recording later .

Yes , I am so grateful for the flexibility .

Connections .

Academy offers as long as you're keeping up with your lesson planner and not falling behind .

It really doesn't matter if you work at 6 a.m. or 9 p.m. or if your student works Monday through Friday or Wednesday through Sunday .

It doesn't really matter .

It allows my daughter time to do the things that she loves when traditional school would be in session such as working with horses .

So each state sets their own laws for attendance requirements .

How many hours of school time your child needs to have each week will depend on your state .

So my family is required at least seven hours of school a day .

That doesn't mean all sitting in front of the computer .

It could just be learning to bake or reading a good book or in my daughter's case writing one , how you mark and verify your attendance is also going to vary by state .

So definitely make sure that you grab the link in the description below for connections academy and then go find your appropriate state and all the questions to your answers should be right there .

You can also reach out to them by phone and ask just one of the counselors over the phone , which is what I did when it first opened up in my state .

And I was so thrilled .

I just called them and said I have a lot of questions and I just answered them .

And then of course , it was like learning trial by fire as we went through the first year .

But we're doing much better .

Now , by the second year , I've noticed my daughter grades have improved dramatically and there so much more I could say about Connections academy that I do not have time to say in today's video .

But if you want more information and you just want a little bit of backstory about our family and why we did it .

I'm gonna post a link to the video that I told you guys about at the beginning of the video in the description below .

And it's on my other channel .

Actually , I'm starting this whole second channel for moms .

And so I decided I'm going to just post it on here for you guys .

So sorry that it's on the other channel over there , but just go check it out if you want that one .

I hope video has been helpful today for answering just a few of the most common questions I get asked all the time .

If you did , please give this video a thumbs up and let me know if you have any other questions in the comments .

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It's just meant to be a fun place for moms to connect and be encouraged So thanks so much for hanging out with me today .

You guys have a fabulous week .

Bye .