The self-paced education model of Maine’s two virtual charter schools is attracting some students and families from Aroostook County.
A small group of students enrolled in Maine Connections Academy and their parents took a group hiking trip with science teacher Larissa Lasselle at Aroostook State Park on Sept. 28,
While the students do most of their classes and schoolwork online from their home, they aim to take hikes or field trips once a month, sometimes incorporating academic lessons into hikes or museum trips, said Lasselle, who’s based in Fort Kent.
Their hike of Quoggy Jo Mountain turned to have great weather, and it was intended for the students and their parents to enjoy a day outside with their instructor and get to know each other, she said.
Lasselle has also brought students to the state park for activities identifying birds and learning about forest ecology with University of Maine Presque Isle biologist Jason Johnston. The students used the smartphone app iNaturalist to record wildlife and ecosystem observations and share them with a national citizen science project, and some students have continued using them at home, Lasselle said.
Maine Connections Academy is a part of a national network of online charter schools operated by a division of the Pearson education company. Now in its third year in Maine, MCA serves 429 students, with about 15 in Aroostook County, Lasselle estimated.
Advocates of virtual charter schools say the school-from-home model works for certain learners who have not excelled in the traditional classroom.
“It’s been great for my children,” said Terry Tozier, who lives in Wade with her husband and their three kids, Michaela, Rebecca and Chandler. Michaela and Rebecca are in 10th and 11th grades, respectively, and Chandler plans to enroll next year for seventh grade. Their experience in the public school system “hasn’t been great,” Tozier said, mentioning bullying as a problem.
The self-directed model of learning, combined with group outings, has “been good for their self-esteem,” Tozier said.
“They get to work at their own pace, so they can go as fast as they are able to, or they can take a little more time on assignments. My husband and I are more active with our children then we were with the public school system. We can see their strengths and weaknesses.”
