North Carolina Virtual Academy

Preanna Hargrove _{on Google}

Mar 12th, 2024

My experience with the North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA) has been an mix of positives and negatives. I enrolled my daughter due to medical reasons and was worried about how her experience here would be. NCVA has provided my daughter with a conducive environment to focus on her studies. The flexibility of online learning has allowed her to delve deeply into her coursework, and the core curriculum has laid a strong foundation for her educational goals. She is learning better at home than when she was at public school and I'm forever grateful for ncva for this experience.
However, not all aspects of NCVA have been smooth sailing.
Some personal issues we encountered is the class connect schedule. We didn't know they could start as early as 8:30am. I have a newborn so this creates an issue because they require parents to sit the entire class which is understandable. But the time is so inconvenient for our family. We are lucky that the teacher allows us to watch recordings when this isn't possible for us. The afternoon class connect is no problem for us and she is able to attend all of those.
The workload is also pretty heavy especially for a kindergarter. They have 8 subjects total thats including gym. And the teachers also assign work to them on school days.
*Seeking Support and Communication*
One of the most frustrating aspects of my experience with NCVA has been the difficulty in accessing support and effective communication channels. While the teacher has been responsive and supportive, navigating administrative issues has proven to be a daunting task.
Laptops are very outdated. They don't get up to date ipads or laptops like public schools do. They're over 12 years old, super large and ancient. Think about the very first laptops that came out. I have my daughter use mines since she had a very hard time using the one provided by k12.
The books and other materials were great and in wonderful condition. We use them everyday for our assignments. I love the teacher's guides as well since learning coaches are basically teachers we get all the materials needed to ensure we are instructing lessons correctly.
If you have a student in elementary school YOU will be the teacher for all subjects except for math and language arts. This is why it may be challeging for a parent who is working. Middle/High School they will be more teacher led. For these reasons I'm considering another school after this year because I want her to have the experience of having teacher led science and social studies classes. Also flexibility with scheduling.
*My final thoughts*
NCVA offers a unique educational landscape, but it's not without its challenges. While it provides opportunities for academic growth and flexibility, there are significant areas in need of improvement, particularly in terms of support and inclusivity. My hope is that NCVA will address these issues promptly, ensuring a more enriching experience for all students.
This school is 100% better than ncca from my personal experience if you're comparing the two virtual charters. My youngest daughter will be doing another year here before returning to in-person learning.

Kierstin Madden _{on Google}

Jan 22nd, 2023

Enrollment process is horrible and the arent very good with kids who need special accommodations or IEPS .

Frankesha El-Amin _{on Google}

May 20th, 2022

If i could give this school a zero i would!!!! You cannot ever seem to get anyone on the line, and they withdrew my student without any notice. I attempted to contact someone and it literally took all summer before I received a call back and an answer as it pertains to my child.