Anderson says he s been able to introduce a new level of flexibility to his regular classroom and to his interaction with parents. Just like homeschoolers, students in traditional schools can log on to the virtual school, see what lies ahead, and modulate their pace of learning, zooming ahead through some units and going back to others. Their parents can also log on to see exactly what their kids are doing. One example of comprehensive collaboration between a public school district and homeschooling parents is the Kent Learning Center in Kent, WA, which serves 200 children in grades 3-12. Academic subjects are taught at the center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and electives on Tuesday and Thursday.
Parents can elect to enroll children in the academic courses, the electives, or both.
The delineation between home and school is permeable. Parents asked for and got co-status with classroom teachers when the school was established four years ago. On any given day there are five to seven parents in the classroom assisting the teacher. Almost all elective courses are taught by parents. Course content is subject to long and sometimes tense negotiations between parents and the headmistress, Dian Colasurdo.