The Online Choice for Teachers and Students

Why I Made the Switch

In my sixth year of teaching, I was completely burnt out and no longer able to convince myself that the next year would be better.  I interviewed for and was offered a position at a non-profit organization serving women who were victims of abuse, I applied to Dickinson College's student life department, I spoke with my hair stylist about working as the receptionist, and the only teaching job for which I applied was at a juvenile detention center (at least I would receive more support than my previous school when dealing with discipline issues).  While knee deep in the job search process, I ran into a former teacher who had quit from the same school just two years prior.  He had lost weight, gained a ton of hair (tied stylishly into a ponytail), shed the health problems that were linked to stress, and rediscovered a smile that had vanished from years of teaching without necessary support.  He told me that he was working for Commonwealth Connections Academy, a cyber charter school that served students all over the state of Pennsylvania.  I was intrigued, applied, and was hired.

There I am, on the bottom left - the picture perfect online teacher.

The Honeymoon Period

My first year was spent in educational bliss.  My administrators were beyond supportive.  They dealt quickly with the students I brought to their attention, held bi-weekly meetings with me, actually inquiring about my happiness in the work place, and even rolled up their sleeves to get behind a grill for teacher lunches and behind a griddle to make pancakes for teachers during teacher appreciation week.

My time was respected.  I was given the option to choose when to start and end my work day, meetings and professional developments were held during the work day, and I had enough time to complete all of my required work so I didn't have to take grading and lesson planning home.  I no longer dreaded Sunday evenings when the guilt of putting off work to enjoy time with friends and family hung over my head.  I felt rejuvenated from the weekend and looked forward to going into the office on Mondays.

I felt more connected to my students in this environment than ever before.  Even though I didn't see my students physically, I spoke with them during my lessons and over the phone, and for some reason, I was able to get to know them on a deep level.  When the student is in the comfort of his/her home and without a classroom full of peers and social pressures, I am able to have meaningful and personal conversations frequently.  On the plus side, I was able to get to know the parents/caretakers as well.  With 120 students, if my principal gave me the name of a student, I was most likely able to tell you about his/her family life, interests, and struggles in addition to his/her writing abilities and reading level.

Reality Sets In 

I am currently in my fifth year at Commonwealth Connections Academy, and I am acutely aware of the challenges that arise from the cyber-charter setting.

1.  Student accountability:  I am not able to see my students face-to-face each day; however, that does not mean that students are not able to receive meaningful instruction.  Student accountability, on the other hand, is still a work in progress.  Each year, I speak with "A" and "B" students who are unable to answer basic questions about the reading, leading me to wonder how he/she is able to maintain such high scores.  In addition, because students from all over the United States and even our international students are using the same curriculum, a quick Google search will bring up a handful of websites that provide answers to the tests.  Often times, there is not much the teachers can do.

A screen shot of my English 12 student's course tree

2.  Curriculum:  Our curriculum and materials are provided by Pearson Education who acquired all of Connections Education in 2011.  Connections Education serves students nationally and internationally (including Commonwealth Connections Academy students in PA) with the same curriculum.  Teachers have very little power to manipulate or change the curriculum.  If there is an essay question that I do not feel is an effective measure of understanding, I cannot change it.  If there are multiple choice questions with incorrect answers, I have to go through a process which takes a few weeks to enact change, if at all.  My ELL and IEP students are given the exact same course tree and content as my standard and honors level students with just a few changes.  I am able to provide modifications to the curriculum; however, the modifications to the rigid curriculum does not provide the student with the best education for his/her needs.  Trying to contact and collaborate with the curriculum department has been difficult and one of the greatest challenges of this job.  Although the above commercial boasts "superb personalized instruction", I can honestly say that we are still working toward making that goal a reality.

3.  Attendance:  I currently have close to 180 students on my course load and an average of 20 students or less attend my virtual lessons.  I understand that many of our students are not able to attend live and choose to watch the recordings, but there is a large percentage of students who rarely/never attend or watch my lessons.  In addition, I find myself calling students who have not completed a single lesson for my course for weeks and sadly even months.  I am most shocked when a student, who looks as though he/she may fail, will complete the majority of my course in just two weeks or less in the month of June and receive a passing grade.

Why I Choose to Stay

When I first began teaching at Commonwealth Connections Academy during the 2010-2011 academic year, we had about 3,000 students.  This year, we are expected to have close to 10,000 students enrolled.  The cyber charter school setting is not for every student and will not work for all, but it's clearly working for many.  I had the privilege of providing educational opportunities for students that could not succeed in a bricks-and-mortar setting.

Victoria left the Philadelphia school district; her school is a dangerous neighborhood and funding cuts significantly affected the quality of education for students.  In addition, she gave birth to a son within a few months into the school year and was able to complete her work when her son slept.  She is one of many teen mothers who are able to care for their child and earn a high school diploma.

Sydney is the current Miss Teen Pennsylvania and travels to New York weekly to work on her modeling career.  She is able to complete her work in the evenings and while in the hotel.  I've also had a student training to be a member of Cirque de Solei and another who competed in and made it to the second level of "So, You Think You Can Dance."

Brittany is paralyzed from the neck down and was not able to receive the necessary services at her school to complete her education.  We were able to provide her with a voice recognition program so that she can complete all of her written work verbally.  She took all of her tests and quizzes with me orally, over the telephone.  Students with special needs, including Brittany, make up 20% of our student population.  Our school is not perfect, but we are working each year to better serve our special needs population.

Justin has a speech impediment which resulted in his being severely bullied at his local school which, in turn, led to depression and anxiety.  His mother, in tears, thanked me and his other teachers as Justin was able to graduate and make friends through our school.  He just emailed me last week with an update - he is currently working and saving money so that he can pursue higher education.

I choose to stay at my cyber-charter school for the same reason that a teacher in a bricks-and-mortar chooses to stay - for my students.  Yes, the curriculum, student accountability, attendance, and other aspects of the online environment are not perfect, but as long as I have support from my administration, connection with my students, and the opportunity to contribute to necessary change, I choose to be an online teacher  I think that providing this option for both students and teacher is an invaluable part of a strong educational system.