The COVID-19 pandemic has made it painfully clear that we need to change how we deliver education to keep students learning. We quickly learned that the traditional factory style education that has been the status quo for decades doesn’t work for every student. Preventing and recovering dropouts, then helping them graduate with life skills and […]
It’s an all too familiar story. Happy teen, honor student and liked school. But in her senior year, she got pregnant and was forced to drop out of high school. The stories vary – but for Shalois C. (“Shay”), her life began to spiral downward. She had family issues, lost her job, was living out […]
We find that not everyone understands what a nonclassroom-based school (NCB) is. First, what it is not. Nonclassroom-based does not mean online only. In fact, only about one-third of nonclassroom-based charter schools are primarily or exclusively virtual. It does mean flexible scheduling where students attend their school site as often as they need. At our […]
Every year, 200,000 teen girls give birth in the U.S., but what about the other half of the equation – the 200,000 fathers? Unfortunately, only about 25 percent of fathers under 18 stick around to help raise the child. When you consider that 70% of teen moms don’t graduate – it’s not hard to understand […]
Echo Carter was always a bright, happy and outgoing child, but when she got to junior high, she became the target of bullies. “I was always a good student — the problem was the social environment for me. Kids would bully me constantly and it got to the point where I was depressed, didn’t want […]
May is National Foster Care Month and a time to honor these brave youth who, due to no fault of their own, find themselves in extremely stressful and often deplorable conditions. FLEX High is dedicated to being a haven for foster children who want to stay in school and graduate. There are currently about 16,000 […]
Think back to your favorite high school teachers and why you liked them? Was it because they didn’t pay attention and let you skate by? Likely not. Our favorite teachers were the ones who knew us, encouraged us, and challenged us to grow and do our best work. They helped us stay motivated, supported […]
Serenity Hunter – was just that. This shy girl with a troubled family life was searching for the calm, peace and untroubled mindset that most people enjoy. She first enrolled at Learn4Life as a foster youth with her head down low, very little self-confidence and no motivation to attend school. She had almost no […]
Remember the guidance counselor in high school who would advise on which classes to take and how to apply to college? Due to an acute need to address the emotional needs of students, that role has evolved to become “school counselor,” to address the whole student, and their social and emotional needs, along with academic […]
Hailey was diagnosed with autism when she was six. Despite being placed in various special education programs, she fell behind in school, which made her frustrated and angry. She had limited social skills, was bullied, isolated and very unhappy. In high school, she was placed in a group with other autistic students, but recalls being […]