Online School Brings Relief from Bullying for Cerritos Student

When Alexis Cunningham was in third grade she cried at school on a daily basis because of bullying. Kids called her names, punched, kicked and pushed her to the ground. The bullying only compounded the challenges Alexis was already having at school. Alexis’ mother, Maya, tried to help her ignore the other kids, but Alexis’ anxiety was so high, she was no longer learning. She was falling terribly behind.

Maya knew she had to find another educational option for her daughter. She researched solutions and decided to enroll Alexis in California Virtual Academies (CAVA), a full-time, online public school available to students statewide in grades K-12.

Alexis is not alone. As the Head of Schools for CAVA, I regularly hear about students who have come to our school to find relief from bullying. A national survey by K12 (CAVA’s curriculum provider) found that 21% of all parents and 31% of high-school parents with kids enrolled in K12 online schools cited bullying as one of the reasons why they chose to enroll.

A Good Fit
The results were better than Maya hoped. Before going to CAVA, Alexis was too embarrassed to read in front of her own mother. Now she volunteers to read out loud in her virtual classroom sessions with classmates and teachers.

This kind of success is what we hope for and diligently work toward at CAVA by offering students a choice to have a more individualized and flexible education. Alexis also takes advantage of the flexible schedule to pursue music, dance and acting. She sings the National Anthem at college and professional sports events around the area (see her website). Students can move at a faster pace than the rest of the class or get extra help, like Alexis has, instead of getting lost in the shuffle of a traditional classroom. Because it’s part of the California public school system, CAVA is tuition-free.

In her second year at CAVA as a fifth grader, Alexis is also part of a unique program CAVA offers called Community Day. Once a week she and her mother meet up with other students, teachers and parents in-person for socialization, PE, community service projects, art, math and more.

If you’re interested in learning about your local online education options, I invite you to check out www.k12.com/caoptions.

Katrina Abston is the Senior Head of School for California Virtual Academies, tuition-free online public charter schools available statewide offering full-time instruction for grades K-12.