Speaker: Tancy H., RISE Online Academy Parent
What led you to consider an alternative/virtual school program for your child, and how did you discover RISE?
Tancy H.: What finally made us consider alternative virtual schooling was almost everything on the list. I kind of want to write a book because we went through it all. And from the very beginning that I was pregnant, I always wanted to do homeschooling, but I was a teacher, and my mom was a teacher, and I felt societal pressure to be part of the cog, a part of the wheel, you know, and like to break away would be so not the norm and not OK with everything that I was taught to believe, but we just couldn't do it anymore. Our son is brilliant, and we just couldn't put up with the stress of just never positive reinforcement, always negative reinforcement. And now that he's home with us, our stress, I don't want to say we had 99 problems and they're all gone, but the bulk of our problems are gone, and it's great.
What kind of support or opportunities did RISE provide that really helped your child succeed?
Tancy H.: Oh wow, there's tutoring, um, support. First of all, my son said the teacher is 10 out of 10, and I was like, really? No room for improvement? And he said she explains everything so well that he doesn't really need all the other resources, but they are there. They have the breakout day on Fridays where he can meet his friends and like relax, play Minecraft, do all the arts and things that they really like to do and just really show who they are. Those are really the best resources for us are the electives.
Can you describe a moment when you realized this program was making a real difference for your child?
Tancy H.: The moment where I discovered that this was gonna be awesome for my child was immediately. We were lucky to get out on Friday, and that's the breakout day, and he got to play Minecraft, which he never gets to do, but believe it or not, I, we, he, I don't let him do that. So, for him to do that with new people, he was just like sitting there jumping up and down. I have him on video. And every day, you know, we're done after, like, we're done by noon. And then we go and go to skate parks and the learning doesn't stop, but every day he's like, Mom, thank you for homeschooling me. I'm like, are you sure I could just drop you off here? It's like, you know, 2 o'clock, there's still an hour left of school. I could still drop you off. It's like, no, mom, no, please don't, don't do that.
How has your child changed—academically, emotionally, or personally—since enrolling at RISE?
Tancy H.: Sorry, I My son academically went from zeros to straight A's and I don't even know how he got to zeros. That's why we just had to pull him out. He is very, very bright and then emotionally, oh my gosh, like there were days where I would have to pick him up crying from the principal's office for hours, and I'm like, why didn't you call me hours ago? And he just, it's just been a home run every step of the way. And the academics, they're hard stuff. I look on there and I'm like, they're asking you this in 5th grade? Like, I'm very proud of RISE. They're doing a wonderful, wonderful job for free.
What would you say to other parents who are unsure if RISE is right for their child?
Tancy H.: Oh well, I was unsure. From the moment I got pregnant, I always wanted to homeschool, but I was an educator and my mom was an educator for 17 years. So it was like going against my own religion. But I waited and I waited. But finally, I got him in and it wasn't too late. He's, he's gonna be all right, but I would say if you're even thinking about it, if your kids are even having any problems at all, pull that trigger because guess what? Legally, they have to let your kid go right back to school if it doesn't work out. So, it's a win-win. You should try it. You'll like it.
