When the world shut down in March 2020, every family faced a new reality. But for Tim, a Wisconsin father of three, the threat of COVID-19 wasn’t just disruptive… it was potentially fatal.

Tim had cancer, which left him immunocompromised in the midst of a global pandemic. The arrival of COVID-19 brought on a fear that it, or any other virus for that matter, may breach their safety.

In the midst of this crisis, Tim and his wife were preparing for a major milestone: their eldest son was about to start kindergarten. “Every day for my family was a day of fear,” he recalls. If his son were to bring home COVID, which could have ended his life.

At first, their school district tried a version of virtual learning, but after one month they were not equipped to handle virtual education properly. By October, in-person learning resumed in smaller cohorts. For Tim’s family, that was too risky.

So they made a choice. They found a virtual public charter school and it changed everything.

“Holy Cow, This Might Be Exactly What We Need”

Like many parents at the time, Tim and his wife considered homeschooling. But the idea of designing their own curriculum was overwhelming.

“I’m not a teacher,” Tim says. “Some parents can do [homeschooling], and that’s wonderful… but that wasn’t for us.” 

Then Tim and his wife were told about a virtual public school that was chartered for families like theirs. “Holy cow,” he remembers thinking. “This might be exactly what we need.”

Lo and behold, it was.

Tim enrolled his son just after the start of the year. Transitioning after the school year began made the start of their journey a little bumpy, but his kindergartener soon began thriving. He was quickly reading, writing his own fantasy stories filled with monsters and dragons, and discovering a true love of learning.

They hit their stride, and never looked back.

Flexibility, Freedom, and Family Time

Today, Tim has two sons enrolled in virtual school, both of which are so advanced, they are skipping grades. His sons are testing at the top of their classes, excelling because of their virtual curriculum.

“We have the flexibility to learn on our terms,” Tim says. “When it’s lunchtime, we don’t have to sit at the table. If the schoolwork is done early, we can go on an adventure.”

Above all else, Tim and his wife agree that having their children at home has been life changing. ”We will never get this time back with our kids,” he reflects. “It is the golden time.”

Watching His Children Thrive

Tim has noticed that his children are self-reliant, independent, and confident. “They know they’re thriving, and their self-esteem has soared,” he says.

He credits their success to the quality curriculum and his role as a learning coach for his boys, which helps to strike the right balance between involvement and independence. “I get to be a father, not a full-time teacher.” And that has meant everything.

Outside of academics, their kids are engaged socially through Scouts, baseball, swim lessons, and drama club. “Our kids are connected, active, and well-rounded.”

The Power and Necessity of Having Options

Tim recognizes that virtual school may not work for everyone, but it has been transformative for his family, and countless others across Wisconsin and the nation.

“I was extremely fortunate there was a virtual public school available to us,” he says. “When school options aren’t available, it makes life more difficult, or even more dangerous, for families like mine.”

Now that vaccines against COVID are widely available, and every member of Tim's family is vaccinated and boosted, they have slowly come out of hiding. But, for schooling, virtual school is where they are staying. "We thoroughly enjoy the flexibility virtual school offers our family, and with our kids thriving in this learning environment, we plan to continue with it. I am grateful it was available when we definitely needed it, and now that we have the option, we are choosing to stay with virtual learning." 

Every family is different. Some need more structure, some need more flexibility. Some need to protect the health of a loved one. And some just need a different environment to thrive.

Tim’s story is a reminder that school choice is a lifeline. Every family deserves the chance to choose a path that keeps them safe, happy, and thriving.