A parent from Ixonia, WI

Steve E. has taught at his local public high school for over a decade and chooses to send his children to Academy of Excellence (AoE)’s virtual school. After enrolling their first-born son into a private school that ultimately didn’t feel like the right fit, Steve and his wife knew they wanted to seek other options.

They wanted a system that would push their children academically, while being supportive of the family’s needs—a system that would give them access to reasonably priced curriculum and other resources that would open doors to new learning opportunities. Once they heard about AoE, they gave it a shot after hearing others in their community sing its praises.

As a teacher at a brick-and-mortar public school who is familiar with the current educational landscape, Steve finds it challenging to get parents involved in their children’s education. Many choice schools such as AoE, on the other hand, focus their missions on anchoring in families and encouraging their involvement. AoE has provided Steve’s family with passes to the local YMCA and children’s museums, meant to be used as extracurricular credits and field trip opportunities, but also serving as a cost-effective family bonding experience.

While explaining why he plans to continue enrolling his children at AoE as they get older, he expresses a sentiment that is essential to those fighting for parental choice: “If more families can be empowered to take the lead in their child’s education, there are countless benefits.”