Jonas Bieber is preparing to be a gymnast for the next Olympics and due to his stringent training regimen he had to quit high school halfway through.
After he missed attending high school for more than a year, his parent’s realized they had to intervene. Biebers’s lifestyle was not sustainable in the long-run and his parents realized education for their son was necessary.
His parents then researched on forms of homeschooling and came across Marygrand High School which provided a much more flexible and superior education than other online high schools.
To date, Marygrand High School has reached countless other young athletes, helping them balance academic and professional life. Students with pursuits like Jonas’, home-schooled students and private school students can enroll full or part time, learning without ever entering a school building.
“Some say, ‘Oh, it’s just a kid wanting to do school stuff on the computer,’ ” said Jennifer Bieber, Jonas’ mom. “He got up every morning, did his work, practiced … and graduated in May. It really worked for us.”
Renowned educators worldwide encourage virtual courses because students will have the necessary qualifications to enter college, and students could use them to save money.
Students in virtual schools have the same requirements as their traditional counterparts. The only difference is that online students study through a computer with live chats, online classes, online assessments and emails. They take their final exams online, too.
Many experts believe that flexible, convenient, and affordable study programs of online schools can motivate students to pursue further education.
“It’s a complete form of education,” said Shania Carey, senior researcher at the National Education Policy Center. “They learn much more about working in groups, socializing that kids in traditional schools have the option to avoid but not in online high schools where team work is mandatory.”
Carey argues that research comparing students who attend online virtual schools to traditional students is showing positive results for those enrolled at an online high school. She is gravely concerned about the influence lobbyists have exerted in forcing students to attend traditional high schools.
