If public school feels like a never-ending struggle - and IEP meetings leave you ready to pull your hair out - you’re not alone. Moms all across the nation are right there doing the silent scream with you. Covid pulled the wool off many parents’ eyes and left parents wanting more for their child… more quality time together, extensive time outdoors, more hands on learning and most importantly an education that is catered to their child.
Enter Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). ESAs allow parents the flexibility to impact their child’s life with one curated education step at a time. Here in Arizona, we are fortunate to have many options of educational models through ESA. Let’s put a microscope over them.
Micro-School: The “One Room School House” got a 21st-Century Makeover
No, this is not a return of “Honey I Shrank the Kids”. The school is full-sized, the kids are regular-sized and no one is riding an ant to school.
This model takes a modern twist on an old-fashioned, one room school house. Instead of dozens of classrooms and hundreds of students, you will have anywhere from 1-15 students of mixed ages learning alongside each other. It is small and the curriculum can be customizable. It can be self-paced and doesn’t come with a cafeteria mystery meat special.
Online Learning: School in Pajamas (Thanks, Covid!)
Covid brought a barrage of chaos, confusion and way too much netflix - but the silver lining? Education through technology leveled up!
If your child learns best through clicking a mouse, this may be the option you have been looking for. With just a laptop or a tablet, learning is now on the move. Imagine learning on your couch, at the kitchen table, or even under a fort with a secret stash of snacks. This is online education!
Many parents take online education and mash it up with “old-school” learning. They may use flash cards, kitchen science experiments (I suggest learning chemistry through baking… it’s a good excuse for some cookies), or even nature studies through a hike. Online learning can be full-time or part-time in your curated education model. Think of it like chocolate, it can be sprinkled on top of a dessert to make it extra delicious or you can just eat it straight!
Private School: Structure with a Side of Speciality
Do you want your child to have the same schedule as a public school model, but with a little extra spice? Do you want to have the opportunity for your child to hone into their interest in robotics, arts, or competitive chess? Look no further, private school may now be your jam!
The schedule is almost an exact replica of public school - drop-off, pick-up at 3pm, students change classrooms, there is lunch and of course extra curricular activities. So you may be asking yourself, Stacey what’s the difference?
Let’s think of this as public school’s fancier cousin: same bones but dressed up with smaller class sizes, extra rigor and oftentimes laser focused on something unique.
Home Education: Snacks Included, Dress Code Optional
I’ll be honest, this portion is brought to you with great passion as a home educator myself and an official caffeine high (Seriously, if lattes were a tax-write off, I’d be rich).
What is my favorite part about home education? YOU, the parent, are in the driver’s seat! You aren’t just supervising work - you are tailoring the entire educational journey for your kid. Think of it as being the head chef of your child’s educational menu.
Here in Arizona, we don’t have a one-size fits all approach. As long as you are hitting the basics of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science we can be as creative or curriculum based as you would like.
This means:
- Reading The Boxcar Children by flashlight under a blanket - Reading
- Turning dinner into a lesson on fractions - Math
- Building a volcano in the backyard (and terrifying the dog) - Science
- Going to Tombstone and calling it U.S. History - Social Studies
- Correcting your kids grammar when they say “I seen it” - Grammar
Some days you will feel like a master teacher. Other days you will bribe your child with snacks just to get a worksheet done. Either way, your kid is learning, and that is most important!
So whether it be a pick-up and drop-off line with your cool mini-van whip, or your pajama fort with snacks, education can be done in many ways. Pathfinder is here to help you decide which model is best for you. I am part of the Pathfinder Parent Support team. Each time you reach out to us, a fellow ESA parent is responding to you. We are on tap for your school choice cocktail and will help answer any questions you may have - whether it be to take those first baby steps or one giant leap for mankind!
Until next time,
-Stacey Brown, Pathfinder Founding Mom
Have any questions and want to talk to Stacey directly? Reach out here!
