Teresa, a mom from Northampton

Families across the country will celebrate National School Choice Week from Jan. 24-30 by sharing their stories of how a public charter school has helped their children succeed in life. Teresa Stevenson’s son, Brandon, is a fourth grader at Commonwealth Charter Academy, and they have seen firsthand the benefits of school choice in Pennsylvania. 

Brandon, 9, enrolled at CCA at the start of the 2020-21 school year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of families have sought the education of public cyber charter schools, which have been teaching students online for more than 20 years.

Brandon has enjoyed his experience in a public cyber charter school so much that he has requested to remain at the school beyond the pandemic. Brandon enjoys being able to do his schoolwork on a schedule that best works for him. His mother says cyber learning allows him to move around during the day or go outside, rather than sitting in a chair for long periods in a classroom. 

Brandon has been making friends through virtual learning and taking part in the Science Club. He also has been learning American Sign Language. Each day he interacts with live, guided classes, and he has been getting great grades. 

Teresa says her own interactions with the school's staff have also been positive. “They are always helping us whenever we have any kind of questions. We are never on our own,” she says. 

Her favorite part as a parent has been “seeing him learning and being with him, seeing him grasping a new subject.” 

Teresa would recommend public charter schools strongly to other parents, and she believes school choice is important for all families.

“We just want the best education for our children," she says.

Many families like the Stevensons want the same thing: the opportunity to pursue the best education available for their students. For many, that choice is a brick-and-mortar public charter school and, for others, it is a public cyber charter school.

Throughout National School Choice Week and beyond, 143K Rising will provide parents in Pennsylvania the platform to share their experiences with others.