Although parents such as Heeren find they must straddle the worlds of homeschooling and traditional public schools, a district in Washington provides an alternative school setting just for homeschooled students. Three years ago, CyberSchool opened in Edmonds School District with 35 students. To enter CyberSchool, parents must meet state homeschooling requirements and document that they have homeschooled at least 90 days. The school collaborates with the parents to create an individual student learning plan, checking formally with the parents every 45 days. Originally conceived as a distance learning program, CyberSchool is housed in a former elementary school.
Students can take part in workshops or work in computer labs.
Classes are taught by certified teachers and subjects include foreign languages, art, music, math, and science. Students are tested yearly and participate in all state-mandated tests. We have 470 different learning plans, so the money is spent on many different things. Phyllis Multari's son takes Spanish, French, history, and science at CyberSchool. Lean on Me Many homeschoolers say they are reluctant to work with local schools because they fear control will be taken from them.