Disclaimer: this review and rating is based only on my enrollment experience only.
I homeschool my daughter and since she will be six in December and I haven't been able to teach her to read, I decided I wanted more accountability and would look into enrolling her into an official school. Vision appears to have all of the things I want, choosing my own curriculum and being her teacher with help from a certified teacher on a somewhat regular basis. The only cons and red flags were that the certified teacher would be the one who decides whether your child gets credit for something and they have to approve of lesson plans but I have a friend who does it who seems content so I decided to go for it.
They were completely helpful while I filled out my application, even faxing something to my doctor because I couldn't and reaching them at their email they have been very responsive. But after I submitted everything they're helpfulness ended. I called today to find out that placement for my daughter had not been found yet and that it probably wouldn't be anytime soon but that it was possible.These are my gripes:
#1 You are kept completely in the dark from the moment you submit the paperwork with the only way of knowing what's going on is reaching out to them. You are only notified once your child is enrolled and not if your child is not, so you are just waiting to hear back and obviously if your want your child in school for a certain period of time, that is not even reasonable. Though their website says they are nearing full capacity in all areas but lists one area specifically, and says not to take your child out of their current school. If your child is not currently in an official school, you have no idea if where you are is reaching full capacity and in actuality you would be better off applying at Visions and another school and seeing which one you hear back from first. I would suggest, if you are not homeschooling currently and this is your child's first year, to either make a lesson plan for the school year yourself. If you are not, find another school and enroll them there and then apply to Visions as early as possible the next school year unless you can find the same offerings somewhere else, then there's no point in applying at all.
#1 YOUR CHILD HAS TO BE VACCINATED IN ORDER TO ATTEND. I applied at Valiant online school, they say on their website that your child does not have to be vaccinated because there is no instruction that happens with other children. This website does not and when you apply they ask for vaccination records and then ask for you to fill out a health form for your child that has to be filled out by the doctor. You also have to have your child's dentists fill out paperwork. My sister has children in a physical public school and other than her children's vaccination records, she has not had to submit anything else yet on their website they say it is California law to have this paperwork filled out.
#2 Since they do not list on their website when they start or stop receiving applications for the school year (which I was told today when I called that they start in February), you have no idea where they are and where you're coming in at all. Their school starts officially August 28th, I applied the beginning of August and I was too late (not sure if that's because of where I am or the number of students who are in the program).
#3 They enroll kids all year long, I was not told this at all until today when I called. So anywhere between before school starts until whenever, my child could be placed officially in the program. At which point you can choose to take the child out. I think, if the child is not in the program from the beginning they should not accept anymore applications until the next school year. So people know to go someplace else.
#4 I was told today that every step of the way during the application you are encouraged to have an alternative, this is a lie. I looked back over all of my emails and all over the e-register online website, and there is nothing that suggests any alternative only not to take your child out of their current school which is completely irrelevant if your child is a first time student. I thought I would at least be given an email saying, we cannot place your child at this current time please find another school. Your child's application will stay on file and when placement is found we will notify you, at which time you can choose to enroll your child officially into our program. But no, nothing. I was told by email a week ago, that it usually takes two weeks. Knowing school starts next week and I haven't heard back from anyone, I got the notion to call. Without that, I'd just be waiting. I would suggest that before you go through the trouble of applying, that you call them to see if they have the resources to actually place your child. I wish I would have. read more