7th Grade
Lily
Lily works ahead on her schoolwork and spends her free time on fun science experiments and animal club activities.
Meet Jaelynn
Jaelynn lives for livestock—she has goats, lambs, and a cow! She’s doing great in online school with dedicated teachers, extra support for taking tests, and the flexibility to take care of her animals at home and on the road.
Why This Family Chose K12
Barbie, Jaelynn’s mom and Learning Coach, wanted a more relaxed school option that could support Jaelynn with her learning difficulties in a positive environment.
Tackle taking tests
Test anxiety is real and now Jaelynn can take extra time and even redo a test after she’s asked questions for better understanding.
Boot the bullies
Online school takes the bullies out of the picture for Jaelynn because she can focus on schoolwork from home without distraction.
Find your flex
The flexibility Jaelynn can build into her school schedule leaves time for her animals, livestock shows, and freeze-dried food business.
Career Prep and Entrepreneurship
Online school offers courses in career exploration to help Jaelynn learn more about her options, including how to better run her business. She started the freeze-dried food business to help her dad eat healthier. She sells full meals, sweets, and fruits and vegetables. Next year, Jaelynn wants to join the business career club (FBLA) to connect with like-minded students.
Flexible Schedule With Live Class Anchors
Schoolwork for Jaelynn is a mix of scheduled, live classes called Class Connects, self-guided assignments she can complete at her own pace, and career pathway-specific activities like entrepreneurship.
A benefit of schools powered by K12 is that the educational materials—a computer, textbooks, supplies for offline activities, and more—are provided.
Curriculum
The number of classes students take varies per grade level and individual. For example, students in 7th grade, like Jaelynn, typically take between 5–6 subjects each semester, with maybe 2–4 requiring scheduled, live classes.
In addition to core academic subjects, there’s a great selection of career-related electives, including the business pathway courses Jaelynn enjoys.
The Parent Experience as a Learning Coach
At K12-powered schools, parents (or other responsible adults) act as Learning Coaches for their students. Certified teachers lead class instruction and Learning Coaches typically spend 1 to 3 hours each day with middle school students, providing guidance and oversight. Barbie, for example, can jump in and help Jaelynn with math assignments or outlining an essay for English when needed.
Flexibility to Prepare for the Future
Jaelynn’s main interest for the future is showing livestock. She wants to teach others about the animals she loves. The flexibility of online school allows her to fit taking care of her animals, traveling to shows, and community work into her schedule alongside her live classes and assignments.
Time away from the computer looks like …
Family Q&A
Barbie: Jaelynn has a few issues taking tests, so we really wanted something that felt more relaxed where she could focus more on school. In the brick-and-mortar school she attended, she was getting bullied for her learning difficulties.
Jaelynn: I like that I can travel; it makes going to my livestock shows easier. Plus, I like being able to do my homework wherever I want; I just need my laptop.
Barbie: I really like the smaller class size; Jaelynn gets more one-to-one support from her teachers. We’ve been able to work together to help Jaelynn if she’s having a hard time. I also like the scheduled live classes; they give Jaelynn structure to her day.
Barbie: I was a little worried because Jaelynn is shy but once she got settled, things were fine. The first few weeks [were] an adjustment; we had to make sure she was focusing on school versus her animals. She quickly learned to stay on task and that she had plenty of time to take care of the animals after assignments were done.
Jaelynn: I have more connection with my teachers at online school. That’s been nice when we travel because I can still reach out and talk through questions.
Barbie: The support from the teachers is great. The math teacher, specifically, is really good at recognizing the students when they do well and that’s really nice to see.
Jaelynn: I have friends from my old school and friends I’ve met at craft shows. It’s nice to catch up with them when we have shows together. I’m also the secretary for my 4-H club so I get to hang out with other kids who like livestock too.
Barbie: One hundred percent. The school as a whole is really career-oriented so Jaelynn is learning a lot about her future possibilities. The flexibility to travel is preparing her too. She’s seeing different areas of the country, meeting new people, and really expanding her perspectives.
Jaelynn: I was surprised at how much the teachers helped me with my tests. Tests can be hard for me. Now, I can take extra time and if I don’t do well, they’ll let me redo the test to get a better grade. I can ask questions to understand what I missed so I can do better.
Barbie: I was surprised at how structured and focused online school was. The structure is helpful for Jaelynn, and there’s still plenty of flexibility.
Barbie: Specifically in our state, the K12 option had smaller class sizes.
Barbie: I’d say research different schools and find out about the class schedules, the class sizes, and the teachers. For us, it was important to have structure and dedicated teachers that provide extra one-to-one support when needed. And we get all those things with K12.
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Learning With K12
From kindergarten to high school, K12 provides tuition-free online education that empowers students to learn in ways that work for them. Browse options in your state to find the perfect fit for your family.
These are the stories of real students attending K12-powered schools and their families. Content is a combination of direct quotes and summaries from interviews. Their stories each reflect their experiences at their respective schools. Actual experiences can vary by student and school. These pages are designed to reflect a typical day in the life of a student attending an online K12-powered school. Individual class schedules and requirements will vary by state, school, and the individual needs of each student.