New education option

California secondary students will benefit from a new education option this fall with the launch of two tuition-free online charter schools: Kaplan Academy of California, San Diego and Kaplan Academy of California, Central California. The schools will offer students in grades 6-12 a full suite of core, advanced placement and honors courses; one-on-one instruction from California-certified teachers, and an opportunity to customize their education to fit their individual needs. The teachers, employed by California Virtual Education Partners, will instruct students using Kaplan’s virtual learning platform and facilitate class discussions via telephone, instant message, email and online blackboards. Kaplan Academy of California students will be able to access their coursework from virtually anywhere at any time via the Internet. A parent portal allows families to access their child’s academic record and activity virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Laptops will be provided to any active student who does not have access to a computer.