Choosing the right learning environment is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. With regard to a home-based public school such as the MNVA, the decision must be right for the whole family for it to be right for the child. Students will have the best opportunity to thrive in the MNVA when parents make a conscious choice to evaluate their lifestyle to determine that this type of learning environment will fit well with their family priorities.
MNVA students benefit from a productive working partnership between parents and Minnesota licensed teachers. An important aspect of this working partnership is participation in regularly scheduled parent/teacher/student conference calls. Parents typically spend four to five hours every weekday with their MNVA students on lessons and activities in the curriculum. Focus for lessons is developed through regular consultation with teachers and parents. Parents regularly submit work samples to teachers for evaluation.
While it is not necessary for parents to have in-depth technical skills to navigate through the curriculum, it is helpful to possess rudimentary skills. A working knowledge of email, word processing, and internet navigation makes using the online school easy.
Many of our parents make valuable contributions by helping with school sponsored outings. MNVA outings are designed to support the academic curriculum and to create opportunities for students to get to know their teachers and peers. Many outings are also designed to instill a sense of civic duty.