Okay, the Parents Are Speaking

And this is a follow up to my letter to my governor. I am also just editing that letter by taking out his name and inserting other key policy makers on this whole virtual school crisis. Several of us parents have galvanized and are communicating through a yahoo chat group. If you have ever thought that virtual school doesn't meet a need or doesn't have a place in the public school system, here are what others are saying:

"We began Orca 3 years ago when our son was waiting a kidney
transplant. In the last year we have spent most of our time in
Portland due to complications of the transplant. Orca has been a huge
blessing to us as our son would not have received much of an education
without ORCA. It has allowed him to do school work anywhere and
anytime! You can't get that at public school.He has maintained a
87-91% grade throughout his transplant, and complications. Now that
says alot about ORCA and it's ability to work for families. We will
not return to public school period. Here's to hoping that ORCA will
still exist."

From another mom:

"My daughter complained she could not hear her teachers for the other rude children in school. Her grades suffered because of it. I volunteered in school to see if this was correct. It was the truth. The teacher complained that they could not do anything about it for fear of being sued. The other reasons was the grade scores of the test in our school was low. Gangs are all over this our schools in our area.

My daughter can not handle stress at all. She just shuts down and won't do anything. She loves to read and to see her suffer with regular school was sad.

Then we found out about ORCA from a friend who had her daughter enrolled in ORCA because of ADHD. So we came to ORCA. She is doing better and she loves going to class now before I had to push her out the door for regular school.

We also sent my Nephew to go to school through with ORCA because of his sleep disorder. He just started and is loving it that he can get a full nights sleep and then go to school when he is fully awake. He said it is easier to concentrate on his work.

I just see this way of schooling a benefit for all. The kids that can not function in regular school can come to ORCA, that way they can learn at their own pace and not some standard someone set up for the normal kid that can handle stress and doesn't have health problems that may interfere with the teacher and the other kids.

Please keep ORCA around."

And yet another one:

"Without ORCA my daughter would not be getting an education, PERIOD!
We tried several different "schools" and various avenues —two years and
about a thousand or so dollars later, my daughter was no better off
than she was before leaving our local high school; as a matter in fact,
she became so withdrawn from everyone and everything that her future
looked rather bleak indeed.

Until we found ORCA, that is! My daughter has learned so much more
through ORCA. She is thinking of, and looking forward to, the future
now. She plans to attend college and is currently making arrangements
to visit a college campus or two.

Before ORCA, I could not even get her out of bed, much less off to
school or to her home-studies. She has a bright future now, please
don't take it away from her! Keep ORCA open!!"

So granted, I use ORCA because of the icky schools near me. Others have found it meets a health crisis in their homes. Especially those crisis that require so much from parents that traditional homeschooling would be too much.

At this point, it's a fifty fifty chance I can go to the capital on the 9th. If anyone out there wants to watch my preschooler that day until about 4-5 p.m. please let me know. He would be in preschool from 9 to 1 p.m. Wish us luck and please pray. This is actually quite scary to many of us.