Charter Academy an opportunity for rural students

Shuanessy Matthews grew up in St. Helena Parish, a largely rural African American community where one out of every four households lives below the poverty line.
She knows firsthand that education is the only route out of the many poor and rural communities like her home.
That’s why she became assistant principal for Louisiana’s first statewide, free virtual charter school, Louisiana Connections Academy (LACA), where all classes are taught online and all of LACA’s certified teachers can engage any student in the remotest area.
“LACA offers the opportunity for anyone to get a first-class public education, despite where they live or their income. LACA is a ticket to a better future for hundreds of boys and girls just like me,” she said. “Knowledge is power!”
You can’t find a bigger cheerleader for Louisiana Connections Academy than Ms. Matthews.
“A child at a school in Baton Rouge or New Orleans might expect to have access to a Mandarin Chinese class, Astronomy, or Calculus, but these experiences are a rarity in rural school. At LACA, in addition to the state-required curriculum, a child can access music teachers at Juilliard, because it is all online,” she said.
Furthermore, virtual schooling levels the playing field for rural children. Besides offering every child a computer and internet access at their home, the virtual world is limitless, not only in the opportunities it provides to unique educational options, but also in accommodating schedules or bringing isolated students into the educational mainstream.
“The school allows educators the ability to personalize instruction that best fits with a student’s learning styles,” said Ms. Matthews. “At LACA, we strive to ensure that students are comfortable with learning because they are accepted and nurtured in this environment regardless of where they came from.”
Ms. Matthews came from a single-parent home but used it as a stepping-stone for success. A former teacher told her that she was not “top college material” and would never get accepted.
Those words became her motivation, motivation that pushed her to receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master’s Degree from University of Phoenix.
“My first year in college was by far a true testament of the barriers I faced in my hometown,” she said. “I quickly learned that I had little knowledge about what it really meant to be educated. Classes were populated with hundreds of students that already had background knowledge of every course. “
Louisiana Connections Academy currently welcomes 1,200 students to virtual class everyday from nearly every parish in Louisiana, and an additional 400 new spots across all grades will open for the 2014-2015 school year.
Ms. Matthews sees this as an opportunity for more rural children to expand their horizons.
Nothing makes Matthews happier than seeing the smiles on students’ faces or hearing the excitement in their voices when they succeed.
“Louisiana Connections Academy loves having Shuanessy as part of our team,” said LACA Parent Outreach Coordinator Shelly Centanni. “She inspires our students every day.”
In a recent survey, 92 percent of parents gave Louisiana Connections Academy an “A” or “B” grade, and 96 percent recommend Louisiana Connections Academy to other parents.
“To me, it is important that our school continues to attract students from all walks of life so that they can benefit from the accessibility and flexibility of LACA’s high quality program,” she says.
“It works for us,” said Hammond resident Caprice Abed, single mother of three children who she enrolled at LACA to give them a better school environment. “My kids have received the quality education that fits their specific needs while also getting opportunities that will benefit them greatly in the future.”
To learn more or enroll in Louisiana Connections Academy, visit http://www.LouisianaConnectionsAcademy.com.
 Louisiana Connections Academy is a free public virtual charter schooling for grades K through 12. Louisiana Connections Academy offers personalized education for students, offered by Louisiana certified teachers, with the freedom and flexibility of an online education that meets the state’s standards.
As an online charter school, students access their lessons anytime, anywhere as long as they have the technology, tools and support of their family. Accountability for meeting high academic student performance is monitored by the non-profit charter board, Friends of Louisiana Connections Academy, Wade Henderson, President.
The charter school is authorized by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to accept students from any parish in the state. 1200 students attended for the 2012-2013 school year. Schools leaders have expanded the school curriculum to include tutoring, summer school, dual enrollment programs and high quality electives, such as e-learning courses at Juilliard.
The school is headquartered in Baton Rouge at 8281 Goodwood Blvd., Ste J, (225) 372-8389. Student field trips, graduation ceremonies, parent-to-parent events and school information sessions are regularly scheduled and promoted at the school website.