Public schools have joined the trend of providing distance education to people in different parts of the country. Virtual schools are advancing in several states. Virtual school will be a term that many people will not be familiar with.

Virtual schools are distance education schools that are administered by the state’s public school system. They are carried out on the web and the students obtain the information at home. They are responsible for meeting state testing requirements, and the school maintains records of academic achievement.

Virtual schools within the states have a curriculum for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Others have virtual schools for middle and high school students, but this depends on the state. Some states say they have virtual schools for the entire K-12 setting. Most schools have a full curriculum, but some schools, which are still in development, have some classes in some subjects. Check if your virtual school has a diploma. Some have a full curriculum but do not have a diploma.

There are virtual schools in states like: Missouri, Florida, Louisiana and Michigan. These schools may or may not have tuition fees. If the state funds the school, the students will be funded. Other states have a tuition fee like a private school. Virtual schools will allow people from different states to enroll. This means that if you reside in a state that does not have a virtual school, you can still receive an education. If enrollment is at an out-of-state virtual school, enrollment may be higher in this case.

Virtual schools have high standards similar to regular public schools. The instructors are certified teachers and work only for these schools, or they work for the school as part of their contract with the district school. These schools go to great lengths to provide high school students with good life-long school experiences. Once a student enters a virtual school, they can sometimes join high school clubs. Examples are the foreign language club, the science club, virtual school newspapers for journalists of the future, and international clubs. There may even be science fairs online where students can participate. Students can also play sports. There will be variations on the virtual school for sports, so contact the district and find out about their policy before enrolling.

Parents can be confused as to whether it is homeschooling or not. For the record, virtual schools are not homeschool. They think of students as public school students and receive money to the state for their enrollment. Students must meet state testing requirements and the school maintains all records.

Many states do not require registrations or exams for homeschooled students, so the public school system still monitors virtual school students. If you want to leave education controlled by the government, the virtual school will not be for you. If you want to keep your children at home safely and still get a good education, virtual school will work for you.