Texas Connections Academy At Houston

My experience in having one of my children as a high school student here has been excellent. Some people ask, "Why have your child attend an online school?" Every child is different. Every child handles their teen adolescent years and the pressures and struggles associated with those years differently. Some are able to manage through the trouble some are not mentally or emotionally able to handle the pressures. It affects every child differently. In my case, my teenager needed to be out of the regular public school environment in order to regain focus and prosper. TCAH has helped keep my child on-target, focused, and advancing. My child is getting the same quality education (if not better) as before when in regular public school, as now with Texas Connections Academy.

The teachers and staff are very thorough and responsive. There is a wide range of courses offered, just like a regular public brick and mortar school. Because it is a public school, there is no tuition and the school is able to obtain Title 1 funds to help with the school's funding needs.

I can only give an opinion on the coursework for 9th and 10th grade since those are the only two grades to which I have been exposed via Connections Academy. The coursework is challenging, but manageable. I like the fact that parents/guardians are "Learning Coaches" and not the teachers. Each student has a teacher for each subject. It's a live teacher with a phone number and email contact. The teachers perform a few Live Lessons each week for the students to join. The rest of the time, the teachers are mainly interacting with message boards and webmail. The assignments for each class are organized and what I love is that the assignments are to be completed by the end of the semester.

This is very much like an online college course in the interface and responsibilities, but with more interaction with the teacher and actual attendance requirements. The students' attendance is entered/submitted by the Learning Coaches and regular live interaction for each student with the TCAH teachers is required and monitored in terms of frequency by the school staff. Each student is assigned a counselor to help with course selections, transcripts, and academic progress too.

This is essentially an "online" school, but there are many opportunities for actual live interaction with other students and the teachers. The students are still required to take state exams, which are administered at several testing facilities around the state. The students/parents can choose whichever location is closest and most convenient for them.

If your child has a hectic extracurricular activity schedule, health issues, or for whatever reason has trouble with the typical hours of a regular public school, look into TCAH! Students are required to have 25 hours of school time each week. This is the same for regular public schools. But with TCAH, you and your child can set whatever schedule works best for your child.

If you have a child who has trouble with the social difficulties associated with teenagers in a regular school environment, whether it be fighting, peer pressure, depression, failing grades, a lack of focus, etc., look into Texas Connections Academy! The admissions process is just as easy as with a regular public school, if not easier because it can all be done electronically. The staff is welcoming and very helpful.

The online interface of education is a modern approach that is becoming more popular and appealing to families because of the flexibility and benefits, while maintaining high standards in curriculum. TCAH has a tech department that is available to help at any time, if you or your student run into technical difficulty or aren't very tech savvy. Personally, my child and I haven't had any technical issues in the 2 years we've been a part of TCAH.

I have recommended TCAH to many people because I feel it's an excellent school. Check out their website or call to speak to one of their admissions personnel or counselors for more information!

When we applied for this school, after all of the paperwork and jumping through hoops they waited till the last second to tell us that our child was ineligible because the Texas Senate passed something just very recently that will prevent her from attending. This makes our second attempt with this school and it is the last. There were quite a few rude staff members when we tried to get information, but at least when we did get someone helpful, we did get help.

This is our second year with Texas Connections Academy. In the last 2 years, we have had wonderful curriculum, teachers and success in the program. The teachers are available immediately to help the students, all you have to do is call or email. They regularly have live lessons with students each week. My daughter went from barely passing public school and spending 6+ hours each night studying. Now she spends about 6 hours a day on school and has carried a straight A average for the entire 2 years. She is in 9th grade and was recently accepted into the Junior Honor's Society. The curriculum is much harder than public school, but she finally understands it thanks to lots of videos and detailed curriculum. They do appropriately link to great programs like Discovery Channel's educational curriculum, but it is in the lessons exactly where it applies. I have access to all the learning resources I need to help my daughter succeed, including extra worksheets and answers. We regularly participate in monthly field trips in the Dallas area and have met a lot of other great TCAH families all having similar success. Finally there is a free public school that values teachers and treats parents as a partner for your child's success! It does take your involvement as a parent, it isn't a babysitter. It is the best program you can ever put your child in if you want them to actually retain what they learn.