During my holiday vacation, I spent part of my time visiting my 83-year-old dad who lives in Santa Cruz (my mom passed away earlier this year). He is still working full time as a lawyer, plays golf several times each month, has a fabulous garden (flowers, vegetables, etc.) that he tends to each day, and he still lives in the same house where I grew up. I can remember living in that house while I went to high school with my parents and my three brothers and one sister. During high school, I did not talk much with my parents except during dinner time, and then it was all seven of us all talking at the same time. My time was spent going to school, hanging out with my friends and being involved in a variety of school activities because I wanted to be independent and do things on my own! However, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today without the guidance of my parents – even though I didn’t always want to hear their input. Of course, I took for granted that I had a place to live, food to eat, money for clothes, and the freedom to get a job. This was more than 30 years ago for me (nope, no Internet or cell phones then!), but I don’t think things have changed much as far as teenagers wanting to be independent and do things on their own.
In talking with students and parents in the Clovis Online School, I have learned that most students want to be independent and do things on their own and control their own destiny. At some times, students are happy to talk and be with their parents and have their input and guidance, but at other times, students just want to be left alone to figure things out on their own. Most parents are happy to allow their teenagers to figure things out on their own as long as they are being successful and they are safe. All parents know the importance of earning a high school diploma and going on to college and/or a great job. So, this is where the challenge comes in for both parents and students. If students are not being successful in school or doing things that are not keeping them safe, then a parent has to step in and talk with their student and help figure out options that will help them to be successful and to do things that keep them safe. This is what I have heard from parents at the parent club meetings we have held during the past three months. All of us – parents, grandparents, teachers, and students – are working together so that all students will be successful. So, take a minute to thank your parents for their guidance and for keeping you safe!
Our parent club meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 4:00-5:30 in the COS Library. The upcoming meetings are on February 9 and March 9.
During our past two meetings, parents have identified the things in the online school that are working and the things in the online school that need improving )I have received similar input from the weekly student leadership meetings that are held online on Tuesdays at noon). As I share with every student who is interested in attending the online school, the motto of this school is…”your school, your web, your future.” This school will only be successful with all of us working together to build the school (even if we don’t have a big school building). Here is the list of things parents identified that are working and need improvement:
Things that are working in the online school/reasons for attending the online school
- Don’t want to feel like a number
- More control over my child’s education
- Focus on academics/ability to attend a Clovis school from a distance
- Fewer distractions in online school
- More involvement in learning by the students
- Less drama, less anxiety about going to school
- Able to work ahead in work or catch up as needed
- Flexibility of completing work
- Adapting to needs of students
- Flexibility
- Engaging curriculum
- Parent Involvement
- Leadership Summits
- Able to work from anywhere
- Efficiency
- Students learning how to learn
- Variety of textbooks
- Students learning about web tools that will carry them through the rest of their lives.
Things that need improvement in the online school
- Consistent communication methods
- More email communication needed from teachers to parents
- Standardization of courses needed so that every course is arranged in the same way to make it easier for students and parents to know where to look.
- Common format very important for ease of learning
- More visual tools used, ways to graph projects/progress at a glance
- Some way for students to track their progress
- Emails not always received back from teachers in timely manner
- More career planning needed
- Content needs to be more printer friendly
- Ongoing planning for graduation from counselors needed
- Some classes require students to take pictures of assignments…everyone doesn’t have a camera to do this
- Common grading system needed
- Elluminate session dates and times need to better advertised
Thanks to all of the parents who have helped all of us to be more successful and for your involvement in in this school!