Parent Voice

Finding Success with Florida Virtual School

By on July 25th, 2020

This post was written by Tangela Walker-Craft, parent of a FLVS Flex student and graduate.

I attended traditional public schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Homeschooling was not something that I ever planned to do when I became a mom. I even taught at traditional public schools for several years before I had my daughter. I knew nothing about homeschooling.

During that time, when I was teaching high school, many of my best students shared with me that they had been homeschooled at some point during their lives.

Continue reading

Student Focus: Meet Peyton

By on October 16th, 2019

This post was written by Meghan Leffew, one of our FLVS Full Time Elementary parents.

As a mother, I am incredibly thankful for FLVS Full Time. My son is five and this is his first year of school. He was recently diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation that causes things like neutropenia and leukemia. I only had two choices for his education – to hold Peyton out of Kindergarten or take a chance.

We decided to enroll Peyton into FLVS Full Time three weeks before school started. Continue reading


We Appreciate Our FLVS Flex Elementary Teachers!

By on May 3rd, 2017

Blog_Elementary_TAW_170417The primary goal of FLVS Flex Elementary is to serve the students and families of Florida within a creative learning atmosphere utilizing a highly-effective curriculum.

Satisfied students create satisfied families, which is a direct result of our highly-effective teachers.

Our Flex Elementary teachers are collaborative educators that believe all students can and will learn. Families are grateful for our personalized approach to instruction that allows each student to meet and exceed expectations. Students excel in our online Class Time sessions and appreciate the warm and supportive environment that helps them connect with their teachers. We established Class Time so students would collaborate with peers and benefit from direct teacher instruction.

These benefits and the effectiveness of our instructors has established the FLVS Flex Elementary program as an exceptional school option for families and young students across the state of Florida. Continue reading


How FLVS Has Impacted My Daughters

By on April 3rd, 2017

RileyMy family and I are so thankful for FLVS that words can’t express enough how we feel. You see, I went to college to be a teacher assistant and I used to teach Pre-K, so I firmly believe in education through the public school system. Our plan for our first daughter, Riley Marie, was public school, just like all her other friends and family.  But in 2015, our whole world changed.

My second daughter, Holly Berlin, was born in January 2015 with a life-threatening genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis. This disease changed the way we lived, traveled, ate, and even socialized. This disease can progress tremendously overnight with just one simple sickness such as the common cold.

What do most elementary kids have to battle their first year in school? That’s right: colds, viruses, and more.

Even though it was our newborn who was affected with this disease, we had to make the decision to protect her from any of these viruses entering our home, which is why we decided to homeschool our older child to prevent her from spreading these viruses. Continue reading


Visiting the Orlando Science Center

By on February 16th, 2017

This post was originally published on the blog of an FLVS Flex Elementary parent. 

Orlando Science Center Field TripRea is homeschooled and a part-time elementary student at Florida Virtual School. I supplement the rest of her life with educational goodness…at least I try.

Rea’s school recently planned a state-wide field trip. These field trips took place in six different cities across the state. We opted for the Orlando one, since Rea’s teacher would be there. So, the kids and I got up early on Friday morning and drove to the Orlando Science Center.

If you have never been, and happen to be in the area, GO! It’s so cool! This place is four floors of interactive science exhibits. I’ll be honest, my son was NOT happy that I dragged him along with his sister. He told me many times he wished he was at his school.

He looked at the map with me, and he decided seeing dinosaurs wouldn’t be too bad. His grumpy attitude disappeared when we made it up to the fourth floor. The dinos did not disappoint. Continue reading


Homeschooling: The Big Question

By on December 26th, 2016

homeschoolChoosing to homeschool was not something I initially chose.

Sometimes, I think it chose me. At the age of 2, my son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Although the illness is very serious, I truly thought that schooling at the local public school near our home was going to be just fine. After all, I successfully attended public school growing up, so I really didn’t think it would be that different.

Sadly, I was shocked to discover just how much things had changed since I was a child. Within the first two weeks of Kindergarten starting at the local brick-and-mortar school, I found myself having to withdraw my child from public school and enroll him into Florida Virtual School. The bottom line was that the brick-and-mortar school could not truly handle my son’s diabetes, and homeschooling appeared to be the solution.

The idea of homeschooling my son seemed to be rather intimidating, scary, and far-fetched. Continue reading


Meet FLVS Student Zac

By on September 11th, 2015

ZacMeet Florida Virtual School student Zac Pullam.

Zac has been with FLVS since the summer of 2014. He is a homeschool student, although he takes a pretty full load of classes with FLVS.

In January of 2013, Zachary and I (his mom) headed out to Hollywood for him to pursue his dream of becoming an actor – a decision his dad and I made together. We had the support of our community and his teachers, as well as his principal.

We withdrew him from his current elementary school in Tallahassee and began to homeschool him while in CA. We were there through June, then returned home to Florida for a few weeks. Continue reading


Meet FLVS Student Kayla

By on August 14th, 2015

FLVS Student Kayla

Kayla loved school.
She loved her teachers.
She loved her friends.

However, she really struggled with staying focused and was morally disappointed by the various distractions at her public school. She wanted to do more, see more, accomplish more – and she did.

Kayla researched Florida Virtual School, made phone calls, and spoke with her Dad and I about doing FLVS from home for her junior year of high school. Continue reading