What are the pros and cons of online school?
Pros of online school: May help busy parents facilitate an education delivered at home. May get kids out of a negative school situation. May help kids with school anxiety or refusal. May use technology in engaging ways to deliver content effectively. In some states, may be free to some students as \\"public school at home\\" or as part of a public charter school. Wide variety of types of online schooling available, so parents can choose what works for their kids. Note: some online options may only be appropriate for homeschooled students who are not enrolled in public school or public online school. May provide access to courses and experts not available in your community. A comprehensive online school feels complete to parents—checks all the boxes. Some kids really like it. Cons of online school: May be too many hours sitting at a computer or device. Not physically active enough. May be expensive when not taxpayer funded. May be demanding for the parent or supervising adult at home. May not be engaging; for example, an online school that just replicates textbooks and multiple-choice on screen for students to \\"work through\\" by reading and clicking. May be low quality with gaps or incorrect content. Some online school is rigid and does not allow for self-pacing or addressing students' strengths and weaknesses. Public online school (full-time, free to students and paid for with tax dollars) means students have to follow school schedules, school requirements for seat time and attendance, school rules, and school testing protocols. With a public online school, you don't get the advantages of independent homeschooling—like flexibility of schedule, curriculum and assessments, for example. May have limited enrollment. May not work well for struggling students (as shown by early research). Requires reliable internet and computer/devices, which not all families have. There are also political and cultural concerns around online schooling. Some see it as a positive aspect of school choice; others see it as contributing to the demise of brick and mortar community schools.