Bridgeway Online

[Paige]

Has anyone used Bridgeway Academy's online option for middle school (or high school)? We're now in a more regulation heavy state than I'm used to and I think a cover school would be easier for us, and my DS has really enjoyed his online classes, so I thought maybe a full curriculum option may be best this year. He intends to go to public high school next year because he wants into a program they have and I want him to be competitive. Bridgeway's website does not give very clear info on the curricula they use. Is it their own? DS would need to be placed into several levels as he's on grade level in a few subjects and above in others. He's in 8th grade. I'd really like to know about the science and math in Bridgeway because that's what DS is most interested in. Thank you. 

[Guest PMHSmom]

Hi;

 

What did you decide to do?  

 

I signed up my two girls for Bridgeway Academy this year and regret it. It hasnt been what I expected.  It cost me 4 times what I'd normally spend on curriculum for the year because I can consign and get some curriculum used at a local HSing store or online.  It's not a bad program.  There's parts of it that I really like - but for the most part it's been more work for me, not less.  We are still independently homeschooling but now we have to upload a lot of work to "prove" what we are doing.  The laws in PA (where Bridgeway is based) are much stricter than where we live.  This could be seen as a good thing for many families but isnt necessary for our family at my girls' ages. I essentially spent $2000 per kid for someone else to do my record keeping, in a state where I could've done it myself without much trouble.  They have cheaper options; I did the Total Care package with Prime because that's what I thought I needed.

 

I researched it as much as I could but there wasnt a lot of online info from other families.  The online reviews all have to do with critiques of their "learning labs," NOT critiques of their whole program.  The learning labs are great, but only a small part of the overall program.  My intention was to get more help since both my husband and I work outside the home,  to find a program our family could continue to use as the girls got older, and for the girls to become more tech-savvy.  Instead I learned that I still prefer the flexibility & cost-effectiveness of homeschooling independently.  I will continue to look for other ways to get my girls more tech-savvy.  Lee Binz (www.thehomeschoolar.com) has a wonderful website for help with record-keeping.

 

We didnt pick the fully online options with Bridgeway because I thought my girls were too young to absorb a lot of schoolwork online, especially my dtr with a SPD.  My girls are in 4th & 5th grade.  IMO, whether you like Bridgeway or not, depends on what kind of homeschooling family you are. If you know your child likes to do most things online, is older, an only child, you would like to be more hands-off, then maybe it would be a perfect fit! 

 

They use a lot of tests initially to decipher what kind of learner your child is and pick curriculum per those results.   This was very valuable - but I figured this out years ago after doing my own research when my oldest had difficulty with reading.  You do have choices re: curriculum, but not as many choices as I have at my local HSing store where I can browse the material before I buy it so I know what I'm getting into.  When I bought the curriculum it was in the spring; there was an incentive to buy it early (free use of a laptop all year).  By the time I got my IGs, however, it was in the fall....so I really didnt know what it would look like to teach out of these books. By then it was too late to get my money back.  They did let me trade a curriculum and we got a much better "fit" for us then.   

 

Some of the curriculum choices I've never heard of. I think they're more common on the east coast.  Some curriculum is clearly used in brick & mortar schools, so it's not geared toward parents who are teaching their kids at home.  This was annoying to me. We're not new HSers.  I feel dumb for getting "talked into" this after getting nervous about the age of my girls, junior high and high school looming overhead, my inadequacies in the "IT dept" in our home.....If you're feeling low, then the bells and whistles in these companies sound appealing. I learned an expensive lesson.    

 

All of the Bridgeway reviews online are for these great learning lab classes where you can essentially skype with kids @ the world - which is great - but I didnt realize they'd be "extra" in addition to the work you are already doing.  We dont have time for the "extra" lab classes.   One dtr has weekly Dr appts,  they have lessons, activities, etc.  Our advisor/teacher has been supportive and kind, but again, we are doing everything, not her.  Everyone I have spoken to within the company has been pleasant; the sign up process was not difficult.   

 

I wrote this to help other families figure out if Bridgeway would be a good fit for them or not.  I think if my kids were recently pulled out of public school, near high school age and I wanted to "oversee" but not actually "teach," then this could be a really good option for many people - if you can afford it. I hope that this review is fair.  Maybe if my girls were older I would've appreciated it more.  This is the first time I have done anything like this program so I have no basis of comparison with other programs.  We've only done HSing at home in combo with fun classes in co-ops. Bridgeway could be a great fit for many families, it just wasnt for us.