Child has problems in school, what is the Internet Academy? (Federal Way: home, middle school)

[jolinn]

my kid isn't doing well--mostly social problems. She's very smart. I heard there's something called the Internet Academy. Anyone ever used it? It's run by the school system...

[scirocco22]

I believe it's run by the Federal Way Public Schools.

Internet Academy/K-12 Online Education

Internet Academy - Contact Us/Address/Map

[CityGirl72]

What are your child's social problems? Have they been evaluated yet? Which District are you in?

[jolinn]

she is very shy and quiet, and can't deal with crowds or speaking or eating in public. She's in therapy, but it looks to be longterm since she also won't talk to the therapist, because the therapist is a stranger.

She's fourteen, was an honor roll student for the first two years of middle school, and this year--simply fell through the cracks. She's failing because she can't deal with the crowds and hates her school (a mega school--more than three thousand children). It started last year and just got worse. She's not on drugs, hasn't been abused, is not sexually active.

I'm moving to be with family on the Auburn/federal way line from the east coast.

[allforcats]

I really understand. When the only person in my family whom I loved and who I knew loved me, went to spirit when I was eleven, I stopped being the leading student in my school, and proceeded to spend years just scraping by. Something really changed quickly in your daughter's life, perhaps in her perception of being protected and valued. I mean no disrespect to you. I do mean that her belief in a friendly universe has changed.

When you move out here, there is a fascinating company called Sylvan Learning Center, a tutoring organization.
Sylvan Learning | Tutoring from Sylvan | Confidence for Life
They have extraordinary success helping children to catch up to level and get ahead of level. The gloom that your daughter is feeling can be alleviated to some extent by achieving confidence in her school studies. Not a cureall, of course, but a good boost up.

I wish you both well.

[TheLongestJourney...]

My daughter went to Internet Academy for 1 1/2 years. I enrolled her when she was still in HS in Federal Way. Eventually, however, I filed home schooling papers and she obtained her GED. I thought it was a great alternative to regular "bricks and mortar" high school and my decision to dis-enroll her and let her get her GED had much more to do with other extenuating circumstances rather than the curriculum at Internet Academy. I too am from the East coast (NYC) and just moved back to Federal Way several weeks ago.

Internet Academy has a web-based system where you can correspond with the teachers and check on grades, etc. I found the teachers were very good on keeping me informed of my daughter's progress (or lack thereof). I think it would be especially good for a child with social problems that are interfering with school work. Your child should have enough self-discipline to log-in the required number of hours and submit the assignments when due. The need for self-discipline (and self-motivation) is the biggest drawback (as I see it) to Internet Academy, particularly if that is one of your child's weaknesses. Internet Academy might help instill self-discipline, but it could easily backfire and result in your child falling further behind.

I do remember thinking that I wish they had something like Internet Academy around when I was in HS. I actually fantasized about going to a virtual school when I was in grade school (and this was a number of years before the internet as we know it today). As a teenager I too had major social issues/phobias and anxiety disorders(agoraphobia, panic disorder/anxiety attacks, etc.). I also hated eating in front of other people and went so far as eating my lunch in a bathroom stall for privacy when I had my first real job at 17. God only knows what my coworkers were thinking. Social anxiety disorder is a difficult thing to understand if you don't suffer from it; thankfully it is much better understood today than when I was younger. I dropped out of school mostly due to the same issues that are bothering your daughter. I would have availed myself of a school like Internet Academy had it been available. There is definitely hope for your daughter's social issues and anxiety - I have come a long, long way and no longer have the anxiety attacks and the social anxiety (I have even done stand-up comedy). I think you are doing the right thing being sensitive to your daughter's emotional needs and wise in looking for alternatives in schooling - our school system fails a lot of otherwise very intelligent children. I think Internet Academy might be a great choice for your daughter. Good luck!!!