The Charter Institute recently spoke with Ms. Amanda Crum from South Carolina Connections Academy on how online learning is transforming education in South Carolina. A virtual education pioneer, Ms. Crum brings 21 total years of educational experience to SCCA, with 11 of those taking place in virtual education. Check out this interview, where she shares her story and shares some innovative strategies for boosting parental involvement and student enrollment in the virtual setting.
What is your role at SC Connections Academy and how did you get here?
As Chief Academic Officer, I oversee academics for the 6,200 K-12 students here at South Carolina Connections Academy as well as adult learning. I support professional development for our 275 staff members, a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework, and directly support principals in their instructional leadership roles.
I also support developing and implementing new, innovative positions, such as our math specialist role.
I was an educator and administrator in a traditional brick-and-mortar public school district. I have been honored to serve at Connections Academy for 11 years. I came here because I was very interested in learning more about the flexibility charter schools provide, their various learning options, and the positive educator experiences my teaching colleagues relayed back to me. I was intrigued by the many ways charter schools helped students achieve success. Innovation enables us to successfully serve so many students in every zip code across the state.
What are some of the benefits of online learning for families?
The online environment provides flexibility, which can benefit students in many ways, such as allowing involvement in extracurricular activities. At the same time, students still meet the state’s “seat time” requirement under the law. Our state-certified teachers facilitate live instruction, and students engage in asynchronous learning. Students spend part of their time working through lessons independently with their Learning Coach, the adult who supports a student’s online education, with teachers available at any time. At other times, they engage in live learning opportunities online with their classmates and teachers.
Over the past three years, we have seen a nearly 180 percent increase in the number of students learning fully online nationally. About 70 percent of virtual school enrollment nationwide is in public charter schools.
How do you incorporate in-person events for students and families?
We believe building relationships and strong connections is extremely important, and in-person events enhance online learning. We use learning experiences coordinated by teachers, academic clubs, and field trips to build relationships with peers. In our middle school, we arrange “Hang Time,” with 12 venues across the state that middle school students can attend with their teachers. These are locations close to where families live. We also utilize the assistance of community coordinators to organize in-person events, because we know how important it is to build social connections.
What is your process to enroll students, can people enroll anytime during the school year?
Families can begin the enrollment process completely online, and we have an enrollment specialist team to assist families throughout the process.
Our deadline for fall admission is in early November, and early February for spring enrollment. Due to the growth of South Carolina Connections Academy and increasing enrollment, we maintain a waiting list if enrollment caps are met.
I encourage interested families to learn more about our tuition-free public virtual charter school and reach out with any questions – we are happy to help families learn about our school and how we can best serve your students’ needs.
