Stefani Frank: Let students learn where they thrive

Imagine waking your high schooler for school each morning and being met with resistance. At first you chalk it up to typical teenage stubbornness. You insist school is important, you push them out the door, and you move on with your day. 

But then as weeks pass, the resistance isn’t fading – it’s escalating. Now your child is hyperventilating, sobbing, begging not to go. On the days they do make it to school, you are bombarded with texts and calls pleading to come home. At what point does the alarm go off that this is no longer “normal” behavior? 

This was my blended family’s reality for two years with our now 15-year-old. We tried everything; conversations, coping strategies, meetings with the school nurse and counselor, constant communication with teachers. Despite all the support we as a family attempted to put into place, nothing improved and our school district had no solutions other than, “she should see a therapist.”

As not only a parent but also someone who works for a cyber school, I’ll be the first to admit that online learning is not the best fit for everyone – student or staff. But there are thousands of students for whom cyber (online) education is exactly the environment they need. Our child being one of them. And in hindsight, we only regret that we pushed our child to remain in an environment that was taking such a toll on her well-being for as long as we did. 

We explored our local district’s “virtual academy,” but what we found was disheartening: little support, minimal accountability, and staff who admitted they knew almost nothing about the program. How would that have set our child up for success? 

The moment our child enrolled in a cyber school, everything changed. The relief was immediate. She is now thriving. She is healing. It was clear we finally found her place. 

Cyber schools offer a safe, controlled, yet flexible learning environment for students whose needs don’t fit traditional structures. Many children face bullying, medical conditions, trauma, mental-health struggles, or unstable home lives that make attending physical school impractical, overwhelming or unsafe. Cyber education is not a loophole – it is a lifeline. 

The learning environment matters. When a student can learn from a place where they feel comfortable and protected, their chance of success skyrockets. Weakening cyber schools — as the governor and legislature have done in our state for each of the last two years — doesn’t reduce the need for them. Unfortunately, it could eliminate the pathway available to the students who depend on them most. 

Pennsylvania’s cyber schools serve tens of thousands of students. Each and every student enrolls by choice — and may leave at any time if it isn’t the right fit. But for the thousands of Pennsylvania students who find that cyber education is best for them, these are not “fringe” programs or budget footnotes. These schools are fully sanctioned public schools chosen by families who know their children best or students who know the environment that will fit their personal lives best. These families aren’t looking for shortcuts. They’re looking for survival, stability, and dignity for their children. That deserves respect and full funding, just as any other educational choice does. 

Cyber schools don’t exist to compete with brick-and-mortar schools. This isn’t McDonald’s and Wendy’s fighting for market share. Cyber schools exist to compliment them — offering an alternative when the traditional model fails to meet a student’s needs. When policymakers talk about cutting cyber school funding again — for the third year in a row — as a “cost-saving” measure, we cannot forget these “costs” are children. Children who finally feel safe. Children who finally feel seen. Children who finally experience success after years of struggle. 

Cyber schools work for over 60,000 Pennsylvania students — and these public schools only cost about 65 percent of the cost of a district run public school. Why would legislators strip away an option that can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life — and save money?

Pennsylvania has always prided itself on diverse educational pathways. Cyber schools embody that commitment. We acknowledge what we all know to be true: one size does not fit all. And in a time when mental health crises are on the rise, when bullying and safety concerns persist, and when family instability affects more students than ever, expanding options — not restricting them — is the only compassionate choice. 

As a parent and an advocate for equitable education and school choice, I urge Pennsylvania’s elected leaders to reject further cuts to cyber school funding. Cyber education is not a second-rate alternative — it is an essential pillar of our public education system. Students like my 15-year-old daughter rely on it, thrive in it, and deserve to have it protected. 

Their futures shouldn’t be collateral damage in a budget debate. Don’t cut their funding, again. Protect their lifeline. Support cyber charter schools.

Stefani Frank is a parent of three children, including a 15-year-old who attends a cyber school. Stefani works for Achievement House Cyber Charter School, based in Exton.