Molly Shore
The one-room schoolhouse has returned with a new twist, as a room
in the student's home where he or she can learn through independent
study or be home-schooled by a parent.
An alternative to traditional public education, Options for Youth
Charter School, operating statewide since 1988, has two local centers
affiliated with the Burbank Unified School District. It serves more
than 1,000 students in Burbank and the San Fernando Valley, said Jeep
Jensen, director of the school's educational operations.
At its graduation ceremony June 14, about 200 students received
diplomas.
For independent study, the student -- often an at-risk pupil --
comes into the learning center twice a week to meet with a teacher
and receive assignments, then completes them at his or her own pace.
"Students receive two-and-a-half times more individualized
instruction than in a traditional classroom," Jensen said.
The home study program is much more parent-driven, Jensen said.
Although the charter school oversees the student's work, Jensen said
that parents provide daily instruction after meeting with a creden-
tialed teacher to receive acad- emic counseling and lesson plans.
"I think charter schools in general are an excellent opportunity
to give choices to parents, and provide different options that may be
needed for each family," Jensen said.
Home-study parents, aware that their children's socialization is
an important part of educa- tion, can sign up with the school for
small group activities, Jensen said. And, he added, many families are
very involved in local community or church groups.
Grades must meet the standards of the Western Assn. Of Schools and
Colleges, the agency that accredits all the schools and universities
in California, Jensen said.
"We get funded similar to the way that public schools get funded,"
Jensen said. "We only get paid if the students are learning and
doing their work."
