In 2021, there were over 61,000 students who attended one of Pennsylvania's 14 cyber charter schools. Cyber charter schools, which were first permitted in Pennsylvania in 2002, have served as a refuge to students and families who are looking for a change from their traditional brick-and-mortar schooling. However, over the past several years, there have repeatedly been legislative attacks against cyber schools and a family’s right to choose the school that best fits the needs of their child. As a consequence of the many reasons why a family would choose a Cyber School, including safety from bullying and unsafe conditions, flexibility with one’s unique school schedule and needs, and reassurance of possible health concerns, we, the members of the PACCT PYLN club, believe that school choice is more important now than it has ever been before. Across the United States, over 332,000 students attend a Cyber Charter School, with 61,000 of those students living in Pennsylvania. However, since their creation, government officials have been actively opposing these schools, including petitioning for funding cuts, enrollment caps, and even school closures. Cyber charter schools are important for numerous reasons and provide an alternative option for families who are searching for a change from their local school district. This is why the PACCT PYLN club chose to create a service project this year that highlights the reasons for and testimonies of students who chose a Cyber Charter School. We asked students from all 14 Pennsylvania cyber charter schools to share their reasons for turning to a cyber education and to give their personal testimonies on how it has benefitted their education and, if applicable, made life with a disability a little easier. ----------------- At PACCT PLYN, we are dedicated to empowering and inspiring all youth to build their leadership skills to help them make a difference for themselves and their community. With an original goal of engaging youth with disabilities and empowering kids with differences, we strive to advocate for disability inclusion and school choice. As it is evidenced throughout this article, school choice and cyber charter schools have given students with and without disabilities the chance to receive the most effective education for their needs. 14.2% of all Pennsylvania residents have some type of disability, while 15.3% of those people with a disability are under the age of 21. (disabilitystatistics.org, 2017) Yet, many students with disabilities note that they do not receive or receive few, inadequate accommodations in traditional school environments. In a 2020 qualitative study examining school administrators' perception of their own special education support systems, many educators noted that a variety of factors can often lead to programs not being up to par. Students can find themselves lacking proper attention in less restrictive settings, but stifled entirely in pull-out programs. “Students diagnosed with an emotional, cognitive, or developmental disability are typically held to significantly lower academic expectations by their teachers and are not expected to play a large role in the overall school culture by their peers.” (Oxford, E. P. (n.d.). Perceptions of Special Education Supports by School Administrators). Furthermore, several students who responded to our survey indicated that a major factor in their decision to move to an online school was so that lack of accommodation could be remedied. One student wrote, “Being in a regular classroom in a brick and mortar school was hard. There were so many students and I would get easily distracted watching and listening to everyone. And the teacher had so many kids to teach and watch that I didn't get the help I needed to understand.” (GG). Another student noted that cyber school better enabled them to be taught in an environment where they could receive at-home support. She wrote, “The reason why my family chose a cyber school for me is so my mom and dad could help me throughout the day and see if I am struggling with school. My mom and dad made this decision when I was young.” (SF). For some students with disabilities, the cyber school can act as a solace; a way for them to receive their education in an environment in which they feel comfortable and accommodated. One student who participated in our survey noted this stating, ”My learning disability makes me extremely stressed. I never understand things right away, which always makes me frustrated (I get frustrated and mad very easily), which leads me to cry. I have an emotional/mental disability as well. I have PTSD. anxiety, depression, and ADD… My old high school was emotional for me because it was where my birth mom went to high school. {Cyber school} helps my emotions because I have a place to go to calm down when upset or anxious. For my learning disability, {cyber school} helps a lot because there are so many helpful people and you can't get judged for asking certain questions as you would in person at school.” (IF). With only 41.6% of working-age adults with a disability in PA having a high school diploma or equivalent, cyber schooling acts as an important resource in enabling students with disabilities to have a safe, accommodating environment where they can accomplish their educational goals of earning a diploma and becoming successful community members. With the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, school choice has been at the forefront of people’s minds with many schools turning to cyber schooling in response to school shutdowns. All 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction at some point during the 2020 school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf ordered a state-wide school closure on March 13th, 2020, for two weeks, which initially extended to April 8th, and eventually lasted for the remainder of the school year (ballotpedia.org). For some students, COVID-19 acted as a vehicle for a more permanent shift to cyber schooling. Many students, especially those with disabilities, found the pains of the brick and mortar setting alleviated in the online format, but the home school district’s cyber instruction was inadequate. For others, the instability of their school systems coupled with an increased lack of accommodations during COVID proved detrimental. Some students noted that their schools' COVID restrictions were antithetical to their health issues; Cyber school allowed them to escape these issues and learn from the comfort of their own homes. One student responded to our survey with, “I have heart defects, autism, and physical disabilities in my feet and ankles. The pressure put on me in a brick-and-mortar school is too much. There is isolation, bullying and spending a whole day in school exhausts me. I cannot wear masks but was forced to do so when they were mandated so my mother decided it was best to homeschool. We have come to find that the education here is better. You have more time to concentrate on your work and fewer distractions. You get more time and help from your teachers. There are no mandates to worry about and I'm not sick all the time like I have been every other year. My day is more flexible and I am able to lay down when I need to.” (NW). Another reason why school choice is so important is that many students experience bullying at their school. For a multitude of students who have encountered bullying, cyber charter schools can be a refuge where they can express themselves without fear of scrutiny from their peers or adults. According to stopbullying.gov, 19% of students surveyed confessed that they have experienced some form of bullying in school, including having rumors spread about them, being made fun of, or being threatened, with most of these incidents occurring in school hallways and classrooms. When these situations at school do not improve, some students may look to an alternative way to receive their education that does not come with the fear of being bullied. Out of the submissions we received, many students admitted that they or someone they know have also experienced bullying at some point in their educational career. One person responded to our survey saying, “[Inclusion and disability rights] have a positive effect on me because a lot of my friends have disabilities and people have bullied them about it, so raising awareness is the best thing for them, and myself since I do not like seeing them upset.” (JB). Another student, in regards to attending a cyber school, wrote, “I don't have to worry about being bullied or left out at school because of my disabilities.” (NW). No matter the circumstance, many students feel that school choice allows them to receive an education where they do not have to fear intimidation or pressure from their peers. In addition, when asked how a cyber school has benefited their education, one student said, “Being in a regular classroom in a brick and mortar school was hard. There were so many students and I would get easily distracted watching and listening to everyone. And the teacher had so many kids to teach and watch that I didn't get the help I needed to understand. Also, I got made fun of and bullied. This doesn't happen at cyber schools. Everyone I always chatted with at Agora has been kind and the teacher can put me in a breakout room to help explain something, which is less embarrassing than when face to face. I don't get distracted the way I used to either. I guess I feel less judged in cyber school. I am glad that we could choose a cyber school because I learned that I liked it more than I thought I would. I have got on the honor roll and had some amazing teachers who worked closely with me to help.” (GG). School choice gives students and families the ability to select the best form of education that works for them. By allowing families the opportunity to choose the school for their children, students such as these mentioned no longer have to face the bullying and pressure that they once did. School choice is so important for a wide variety of reasons. For instance, some students that we interviewed also mentioned that choosing a school at home was simply safer and more beneficial to their education than attending the district that they are regionally assigned to. In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, “During the 2017–18 school year, 80 percent of public schools recorded that one or more incidents of violence, theft or other crimes had taken place, amounting to 1.4 million incidents.” Many students who choose a cyber school believe that it is the safest and most advantageous option for them. For one student who transitioned to a cyber school several years ago, she said she chose to attend a cyber school due to her experiences with “gun violence and unprofessional teaching.” (JB). School choice allows students and families to select a school in which they feel safe attending. One student wrote that cyber schooling allowed her to escape the instability of her local school district, “The other reason I was put in cyber school is that in the area I live in now, the teachers at the school were striking. So my mom and dad decided it would be best to put me in cyber school” (SF). In addition, when asked why they chose to attend a cyber school, another student stated that this was the only option that made sense for her situation. She said, “The brick and mortar schools near me were either poorly funded public city schools, or private, single-sex schools, even though I have brothers.” (LM). Furthermore, when asked how the topic of school choice has affected her and her education, she stated, “I think the overall cyber school has positively impacted my education. Of course, like any type of schooling, it's not perfect, but cyber school has provided me with a better chance at succeeding and thriving with my education than the schools around me could. I mentioned earlier in the form that the public schools were all poorly funded city schools. If I had continued attending those schools, I would have been in classes that were either too difficult or not engaging, due to not having a program for students who were just a little bit ahead in reading and math. The cyber school has allowed me to learn at my own pace.” (LM). Alternate forms of education like charter schools and cyber schools may not be necessary for everyone, but school choice gives students in Pennsylvania and around the country the opportunity to choose the education that best fits their individual needs while allowing them to remain feeling safe in the process. It is clear to see that students and families choose cyber charter schools for an assortment of reasons. Whether it be that a student experiences lack of supports for their disability or illness, unsafe conditions, bullying, or simply feels as though they would benefit from an alternative type of schooling, school choice is important because it allows students to have the opportunity to choose the right form of education for them. Everyone has different needs and requirements, so it is only reasonable that there is a school available to them that can fit those unique specifications. This is not to negate the fact that cyber school may not work for every student. For some students, the lack of daily socialization with peers and the priority to get work done on your own without a teacher directly overseeing and prompting completion may be enough to prefer a brick and mortar setting over a cyber environment. However, while a Cyber Charter School may not work for every student, it is the most appropriate choice for thousands of students in Pennsylvania. Without the right to school choice, thousands of students would be displaced and forced to return to a school that had not served their needs previously. By giving families the choice to send their children to the most effective school for them, we ensure that every single student is set up for a lifetime of successful education. Written By: Tabitha Pawlowski, McKenzie Addison, and Shari Fox |