Lauren Ford said the school makes it easier to build connections with special education students and their families.
CCA allows parents to be active participants, not just spectators, in their children’s education.
Engaging parents in their children’s education is essential to a student’s academic success – and no one knows that better than special education teacher Lauren Ford.
“Here, we build relationships, not just with the students but with their families. We’re student-centered, but we always partner with the parents to make sure the students are receiving the support they need in and out of the classroom,” Ford said. “I feel that’s really the strength of CCA.”
Ford, who teaches out of the Seven Fields Family Service Center, said working at an online school makes it easier to build connections with special education students and their families. She said it also allows her to interact more with her students.
“It can be hard to get them to open up at first, or to get them used to the idea of working individually with teachers,” she said. “[At CCA], we have the ability to meet one on one and provide individual support to their learning.”
Ford has been working at CCA for more than seven years, but her experience doesn’t end there. She is a strong proponent of online education, and she decided to enroll her son, Corey, in CCA.
Corey was enrolled in kindergarten at CCA last year, and he is now a first-grader who loves getting to use the computer every day to enhance his learning.
“Corey loves technology, so the ability to use it to engage him in the learning process is essential,” Ford said. “CCA just works for us since it allows me to be part of his education.
“I’m not a spectator in his learning.”
CCA challenges Corey and provides him the chance to learn about subjects, such as coding, that he might not have been able to learn in a brick-and-mortar school.
“Corey’s editing code as a first-grader,” Ford said. “CCA allows him the opportunity to extend his learning in areas he’s passionate about.”
Corey is a fun-loving, outgoing boy who enjoys learning, reading and spending time with his mom.
“We spend a lot of time just being together, reading or doing crafts,” Ford said. “He’s a huge fan of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ if you can believe it.”
Corey often will go to work with Lauren to visit his school. Every time he’s on campus, he looks around for his teachers and makes sure to give them a big hug, she said.
“My son loves his kindergarten teacher to the point where he still talks about her on a daily basis,” Ford said. “That’s what people don’t understand about cyber schools. Teachers here really become part of your kids’ everyday lives and part of your family.”
