Virtual schools are schools with distance education that are run by the state's public school system. They are done web based and students get the information at home. They have the responsibility of state testing requirements and the school keeps the records of academic achievement.
Virtual schools within states have a curriculum for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Others have virtual schools for middle to high school students but this depends upon the state. Some states say that they have virtual schools for the full K-12 scope. The majority of schools have a full curriculum but some schools, which are still developing, have some classes in a few subjects. Check to see if your virtual school has a diploma. Some have a full curriculum but don't have the diploma.
Virtual schools exist in states like: Missouri, Florida, Louisiana and Michigan. These schools may or may not have tuition charges. If the state funds the school, the students will be funded. Other states have a tuition fee like a private school. Virtual schools will allow people from different states to enroll. This means that if you reside in a state that does not have a virtual school, you can still be educated. If the enrollment is done in an out of state virtual school then the tuition can be higher in this case.
Virtual schools carry similar high standards like regular public schools. The instructors are teachers who are certified and work only for these schools, or work for the school as part of their contract with the district school. These schools try very hard to give high school students with good school experiences for life. Once a student gets in a virtual school they can at times join high school clubs. Some examples are foreign language club, science club, virtual school newspapers that is for journalists of the future and international clubs. There may even be science fairs online where participation can be done by students. Students may also be able to play sports. There will be variation on virtual school for sports so contact the district and find out about their policy before you enroll for this.
Parents can be confused as to whether or not these are homeschools. For the record, virtual schools are not homeschools. They think of students as public school students and receive money for the state for their enrollment. Students have to meet state testing requirements and all records are kept by the school.
A lot of states require no records or testing for homeschooled students, so the public school system still controls virtual school students. If you want to leave education that is government controlled, then virtual school will not be for you. If you want to keep your children at home safely, and still receive a good education, then virtual school will work for you.
