Cyber-charter provides link between public, homeschool

With the establishment of cyber-charter schools in 1997, a new mix was added to public education in Pennsylvania.

For many families, cyber schools filled a gap between traditional homeschooling and public schools.

Through the Internet, virtual schools offer a structured and supervised curriculum. Teachers are a telephone call or e-mail away.

Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School -- with more than 4,000 students statewide -- is the largest cyber school in the state. It offers

Ten-year-old Jacob and 8-year-old Logan Booth of Allegheny Township in Kiski Area School District are enrolled in Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School.

The boys' mother, Wendy Booth, supervises their education. A teacher works with Wendy and helps guide the boys through lesson plans and record their progress online.

"I wanted to keep the boys at home with me and teach them," Booth said."I wanted them to get their values from home and not a

locker room."

When the boys enrolled in PAVCS, the family received boxes of materials: textbooks, art suplies, a computer for each boy, software and a printer.

Each boy has a computer and work area in a room set aside as a classroom at home. Textbooks for Jacob and Logan are neatly arranged near their computers.

Between their work stations is a bookshelf with more supplies and an impressive rock collection.

Jacob plays the piano-keyboard, which is positioned against another wall. He also plays the flute with the Christian Kids Music Ensemble.

Both boys participated in the chess tournament at Peoples Library in New Kensington in February.

Tuition and other expenses at PAVCS add up to an estimated $7,000 per student per year. In the case of the Booths, Kiski Area School District pays the bill.

Each Pennsylvania school district decides whether to provide curricular or extracurricular activities to homeschoolers. The state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation requiring districts to allow homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities.

Lynn Rodden of Springdale said Allegheny Valley School District works hand in hand with homeschooling or cyber school families like hers.

"We have the best of both worlds," Rodden said. "We chose to live here because of the school district."

The four Rodden children have been in a private school, traditional home school, cyber school and public school.

"We homeschool because of our faith and values," she said. "We do re-evaluate every year."

For example, two Rodden children --13-year-old Sarah and 8-year-old Brennan -- are enrolled in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School of Frazer, a cyber charter school near Philadelphia. Tuition and expenses at the school are estimated at $5,500 a year per student and are paid by the school district.

Neither Sarah nor Brennan have ever attended a public school.

Nevertheless, Sarah tried out and made the Springdale Junior High School cheerleading squad last year.

Rodden's daughter Jessica, who is 16 and previously was homeschooled, started Springdale High School in ninth grade last year and was an honor student.

Rodden, the parent liaison with the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, has nothing but praise for Allegheny Valley School District.

"I wanted a school in which the teachers actually taught the classes," she said. "I wanted my children to have the interaction with the teachers."