Learning Online Solves Unique Challenges

​As every school administrator knows, the start of school can bring surprises. There are surprises that are minor and relatively easy to handle: the student who discovers a new passion over the summer and wants to change some courses; or the student whose schedule needs fixing because they’ve been double-booked for the same class period. And then there are those surprises that can become full blown emergencies pretty quickly:  the teacher who needs time off to handle a health crisis or decides not to honor their contract; or the student whose life is upended by a family move or a new opportunity.  In either minor or major situations,  we’ve found that online learning can solve unique challenges that arise for schools.

Let me share a few situation where we’ve helped schools in both minor and major challenges:

• Minor: A senior at a top mid-atlantic boarding school wants to challenge herself by taking AP Latin, but she doesn’t have enough room in her schedule. Taking AP Latin online with One Schoolhouse lets her pursue her love of classics without giving up any of her other goals.
  
• Minor: A school calls because they have lower-than-expected enrollment in statistics. They wonder if we can teach their handful of students online, in order to better align teaching resources on campus.  We’re able to take on the students and solve this staffing challenge for the school.
  
• Minor: A middle school student is starting seventh grade at a top day school, having done her previous course work at a Mandarin immersion K-6 school.  High school Mandarin won’t fit into her middle school schedule, so the student enrolls in our online program with the support of the school -- and she will do so again in eighth grade, too.
  
• Major: Two weeks before the school year started, we hear from a boarding school that has suddenly lost its AP Physics teacher, and needs us to teach a full class of students. We’re able to teach the class for the school and on-board its students to online learning -- in addition to our standard orientation programming, we set up a video call with students and One Schoolhouse administrators to answer questions and alleviate concerns.
  
• Major: We are blessed in independent schools to work with students who are immensely talented. In August, we get a call from Claire, a student at a top day-school, and her mom who are trying to figure out if it’s possible for her to complete her senior year online while spending most of the year in Russia studying ballet at the Bolshoi.  We work with her school to create a course of study for her to complete her campus graduation requirements with online courses while completing an intensive apprenticeship in Moscow.

​In any of these cases, the relationship with the school was key.  The schools wanted to solve the challenges and retain these high achieving students, and we gave them an opportunity to do so, because they trusted that these students would receive a high quality education online.

Facing similar issues? Call One Schoolhouse at 202-618-3637 or email [email protected]