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Falcon Pride Online is a learning alternative
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor Alternative and online school coordinator Janet Polish displays the "classroom" of the Falcon Pride Online program, a computer lab with 48 computers equipped with an online system that manages assignments, grades, and participation.
By SARAH FOOR
This September, a group of Austintown students attended the first day of school by pushing the power button on their computer. Now in its second year, Falcon Pride Online School is offering a learning alternative for students throughout the district.
Janet Polish, the director of alternative and online programs, finds that the availability of Falcon Pride Online gives Austintown students a unique opportunity.
“Unlike most online schools, Falcon Pride Online is tuition-free for Austintown residents, and they’re still considered a part of our school district. Our students can participate in extracurriculars and they’ll receive a diploma from Fitch upon graduation. They’re still part of the Austintown family – they’re just receiving their curriculum a different way,” Polish explained.
Falcon Pride Online services kindergarten to 12th-grade students who choose online school for a variety of reasons, whether they are religious, medical, social, or if a student simply learns at a different pace.
Most students split their time between work at home and the Falcon Pride classroom, a trailer adjacent to Fitch High School complete with 48 computers. In their lab, students receive monitoring, assistance and personalized tutoring. All finals and state-mandated testing take place in the lab.
However, Polish said it is unfair to consider online school an easy way out.
“It’s a very rigorous curriculum and it takes dedication. Online teaching is unique in that it offers accountability. I can see the time the students put in each lesson.”
The first year of Falcon Pride online welcomed 80 students of many ages and 13 students became 2011 Fitch graduates. For the future of the program, Polish sees the online school working closely with traditional education methods.
“In the next few years, I’d like to start an online homework delivery system, so that all students can access their homework even if they miss a few days of school. Years ahead, I’d love to see what is called a ‘blended learning environment.’ The online curriculum and the classroom time will work side-by-side,” Polish said.