In many cases families today feel that they have very little choice when it comes to the question of, “Do I send my child back to school this fall?” At Eaton Academy, there has never been a time with more educational options from which parents may choose. The stress and confusion of this moment simply cause families to narrow their vision when they should be expanding it.

Educational Options: Eaton’s 7 Different Approaches to Education

At Eaton Academy we have seven different approaches to education. The programs listed below are tried and true. They’ve helped our families for more than 25 years. Descriptions of the first five have been kept brief while numbers six and seven have expanded explanations to provide greater detail for today’s families.

1. Traditional, in-person day school with a low student-to-teacher ratio of 5-to-1

Having only a few students in a classroom enables everyone to maintain social distancing as well as offering excellent customized instruction.

2. Virtual group classes

Students may remain enrolled in Eaton Academy but elect to take group classes live, on camera with their teachers from the comfort and safety of their homes.

3. Independent Study Program (ISP)

To maximize the flexibility and individuality of their children’s education, many parents select our one-to-one tutorial approach to college prep classes.

4. Virtual ISP

Students who have health concerns or who live away from Eaton Academy and need the ultimate flexibility that ISP affords may decide to log in to their tutorial sessions online.

5. Mentor Program

This “one room schoolhouse” version of education gives students the best of both ISP and group classes. They may come to school on their own schedule and work at their own pace in a class with other similarly minded students, staying socially distant.

6. COVID Academic Support Program (CASP)

This program offers “academic daycare” for working parents whose children have been forced into an online option by their public schools. Mom and Dad go to work to support the family, but who can watch the children do their work from home? No one – that’s why families elect to bring their children to CASP. At Eaton Academy, our staff facilitate public school students working online with their public schools.

7. Distance Learning Program (DLP)

The Distance Learning Program (DLP) provides curriculum, accreditation, and record-keeping for families who do not want to send their children in person to school yet hesitate to homeschool on their own. A Distance Learning “pod” may consist of children from just one family or be comprised of a small group of neighborhood children. Similarly, some pods may want to use an instructor with whom they are already familiar. Others may want to have Eaton secure a teacher. Still others may want to do their own teaching. Whatever the arrangement, Eaton’s DLP will provide the curriculum, accreditation, academic support, and record-keeping for the pod.

Even More Educational Options: Combining Programs to Truy Individualize Instruction

To offer even more education creativity, we can put two or three of these programs together to truly individualize our students’ academics. Times of adversity can bring out the best in Americans. We simply need to remember that we do have choices – we just need look around and make informed decisions.

Stay safe!
Brian L. Uitvlugt
President