Connections Academy

Unfortunately, this school is not what it seems. On its main page, it says "oh opportunities to socalize and make friends, but that is not true. I am in 12th grade, finishing up my year at this school and I have been unable to make any friends since the teachers are all ways like, "We will have to close chat if you guys don't stop sharing social links and the like." The teachers and the policies of 'not being able to share outside contact information is unfortunately too strict, and this has and will lead to friendships being broken since we are unable to stay in contact with others in the school, due to the teachers explicit directions of "NOT sharing social links and other contact information." If you are looking for a great place to meet friends, then I wouldn't recommend doing this school.

Location: Lighthouse Connections Academy

Racist teachers, intervention specialists,director and very disrespectful! Children have more manner's than these people!Staff. I'm documenting everything! Even the principal makes excuses for staff behavior! The entire staff is only one race! The only staff members that are very kind and respectful and not racist is the speech therapist! They are nasty and sarcastic and say very rude offensive things towards black families! I'm very educated with more degrees than the teachers and yet they try to be sarcastic as well as the director as if you don't know anything! These people have very evil spirits! Definitely shouldn't be teaching if you're racist because it's always going to be kids of colors of the rainbow and if you can't treat them equally then you need to quit this profession! Staff aren't held accountable for their behavior at all and I'm not shocked by that buddy buddy system and clown behavior because they're all alike! Again the Speech teachers everyone of them have been so supportive and welcoming and definitely not racist towards myself and child and other black families. The teachers are so lazy all they want to do is sit on the couch and throw up a video from home and not answer any questions and zoom through everything! Their to lazy to follow the IEP plan put in place to help the child 👦🏽! The good thing is my child is well loved from a beautiful background and family and we are winning! I've learned that when these people are evil and racist like this that they are bringing bad luck and karma to themselves and their family! Even the make 7th grade teacher has a very rude and disgusting attitude! I'm always kind saying thank you and have a blessed day or good day and he's just rude and doesn't say you're welcome or anything as well as the other staff! They get together and they talk nasty about black families and that conversation got back to me last year but I kept in confidential! I don't understand how they feel their better when they literally have to work a 9 to 5 like everybody else! So many staff members leave this school well the good ones leave that aren't racist and want tolerate their behavior and them being so unprofessional and unorganized! I tell you I could've stopped to their level but I'm better than that so I remained firm with what's best for my child and advocating for her even though they try to make it hard for us and not follow the IEP plan! My family is very educated and wanted to attend the meeting with me but I know they wouldn't hold back with them being disrespectful to me so I didn't include them but next time I will including my fiancé as well! Nothing they do with their miserable selves shall prosper! We will keep winning! God has us covered!

Location: Ohio Connections Academy

I know everyone probably doesn't have a bad experience with them, but I can say my experience with them was awful. They are not good at communicating back with the parents and they kept rejecting the documents they were asking for, which led to my daughter missing the deadline, when I started the process a month prior to all of this. I wouldn't recommend this online school. Or at least they school better communicate.

Location: Florida Connections Academy

I've been going to Connections (ARCA) for 3-4 years now, I'm in 9th-grade rn. The school is more worried about passing than anything else, they claim they care SO MUCH about the students, but they do not. If they did, they'd address the concerns that I brought up and not completely ignore them. They do not care about the students. I realized most reviews were made by parents, not students. Is it helpful to other parents? Yes, it is! But you need to also look at how the student feels. Most students I met (which was not a lot, because this school doesn't care about social interactions.) Does not like this school, most cheat because this school throws so much stuff at you. Lessons have many grammar errors, and the questions can be wrong, confusing, or have more than one correct answer, but you have to pick one answer anyway. If this school did what they claimed, I wouldn't be here. As a student with learning problems, I feel like the school does not care about me and many other students. They expect everyone to learn the same way. So if I had to say, this school NEEDS to be fixed and NEEDS to change for the better. I am going to leave after this year is over.

Edit: I want to add this. It matters from school to school. ARCA isn't good, no social interaction, no talking, nothing. At the time of making this, I was trying to do my work, but I needed to stop, there is just so much work. The weird thing is, I like reading, but for learning it's a no-go. I'm better off learning from someone talking to me, the normal school that I'm going to next year is good. No bullying, most people are nice, and it's in a really good area. If you are not good with in-person learning, your local public school is really bad, or you like being by yourself a lot, this school would be okay for you. It's just not for me. I felt like I needed to add this, so if you're fine with the stuff I said, then the school wouldn't be bad for you.

Location: Arkansas Connections Academy

They lock down lessons and mark your student absent for the 0's they give even if the student takes 9 hours to try to complete and doesn't make it! Then they will call truancy of absences even though the student is trying to complete the ridiculous amount of work they give! They change parents hours to 0 hours so it looks like student wasn't attending! AVOID THIS SCHOOL AT ALL COST! Especially if your child is disabled because it WILL CAUSE SEVERE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE DISABLED! And, good luck trying to get paperwork to transfer, as this is also a nightmare from this school! Please do not put your children in this school! From Parent!

Location: South Carolina Connections Academy

I submitted required documents associated with registration process Dec 2023. I was told to submit attendance report and most recent report card on 01/04/2024.I followed all required steps submitted the last 2 documents. All documents had been reviewed and verified. Kept calling for updates response was same by every agent I spoke to which was everything had been verified and received and I needed to allow time for placement to be done. I was instructed to allow email for further instructions.NEVER received any emails so I kept calling...kept being told to wait for placement to place son in classes.After waiting for so long I was devastated to be told that I had missed registration and I would have to wait until next semester.This isnt good customer service. Was made aware the error was on enrollment end and no error of my own. I placed several complaints was told I would get a update never got any updates so had to keep calling. At this point nothing has been done.Registration for low country academy failed my child. I fought so hard to get him enrolled and stayed on top of getting all required documents in. All documents were in on time there is no reason my son shouldn't have been enrolled.I AM DISGUSTED AND I AM HURT...

Location: Lowcountry Connections Academy

I would spend over 12 hours a day with my kid on assignments and was never ending. And never caught up. Some of the answers in Math were completely wrong. Imagine math is stupid. We spend over 50 hrs on it and it states we only completed 1 percent. A waste of time. I regret enrolling with the program, it's a big burden especially for young children to be expected. Especially when when assignments don't stop piling up. I don't see why the teachers don't reach out? I'm pretty much homeschooling my kid and someone is getting paid for it and giving them grades.

Location: Arizona Connections Academy

I've been attending WACA since September, ITS GONE TO TRASH! THE TEACHERS DONT CARE, THEY JUST WANT THEIR MININUM WAGE! IT KEEPS REASIGNING LESSONS AFTER BEING COMPLETED AND WHEN THE SCHOOL THINKS THERE IS A ISSUE THEY BLAME THE STUDENTS! AND THEN I GET A F ON A PORTFOLIO BEACUSE I DIDNT INCLUDE SOMETHING THAT WAS NEVER ON THE LESSON LIKE WHAT THE HELL? NEVER SEND YOUR KIDS HERE 0/10

Location: Washington Connections Academy

My child was ignored or muted by teachers. Wasn't given the educational materials she needed. Her assigned laptop didnt work for 90% of the assignments and online textbooks. We gave them 100 days before giving up. The teachers are poor and uninvolved. I cannot speak to their materials because here we are in February, we enrolled last July, and we still dont even have all the books. Shame on you Connections. My bright 1st grade child has to be in remedial classes now, when she started the school year ahead and full of hope.

I enrolled my son in this school almost a year ago, I should have known and read the reviews before I actually went through with this. They pile work on top of work. My son is Special needs, his grade dropped from an B average to a low D. I'm very dissatisfied, and will be looking for other schools for my son. Also you will never have any type of time for yourself or family.

I have two students that were straight A and B students, Now they're failing because this school wont grade work on time and they do not Participate in anyway to help the students. My daughter was in Beta Club and now she is failing. I'm really considering placing them back in regular school. I'm starting to dislike this school. I forgot to mention how much hard work they give kindergarden students, its ridiculous My 3 children are suffering all because of these lazy $#*! teachers.

Don't waste your time! After getting all the enrollment paperwork done and sitting through a pre-enrollment meeting, for an hour, I got a phone call to let me know that my son would not be excepted this semester due to them not meeting the enrollment time. Then they proceeded to try and turn it around on me if this is how the school is run, I wouldn't want my child there anyhow. What a waste of time.So mad!

This school is horrible and unfortunately, I have been here since the 3rd grade (in 9th now) and I have always hated it. They give you way too much to do in one day, I remember they gave me 10 assignments in a single day which all took a decent amount of time to complete so I wound up finishing school at 7 PM giving me barely any time to do things that I want to do.

Location: Texas Connections Academy

As a single Mom that travels as a health care provider our family needed the flexibility to attend school anywhere, and after having my child assaulted in a traditional public school we opted for on line. However our experience has been very much less than acceptable. I am an older mom and some of the assignments were confusing and hard to navigate. The curriculum is not engaging for my child and it became a FIGHT to help her complete the assessments. Our relationship has suffered because of this. She has went from an A-B student to a D-F student. When I asked for help, I was told this was a you problem not a we problem. Very little to no help was offered. In summary, I would continue to look at other options if considering this particular school.

Location: Arkansas Connections Academy

The process of enrolling is a joke u make people take ur classes just to sent a email at night then and then say sence u didnt respond u have to wait on thee waiting list after all the BS they didnt even let her in u got my childs hopes up just to throw her on a waiting list

Location: Indiana Career Connections Academy

We decided to have my son attend Connections Academy his junior year for the flexible schedule. My son up to that point had a 4.0 GPA. At the end of the first semester my son had earned all A's but his GPA dropped since grades of 90-92 are considered an A- at Connections and is not awarded the full 4 points toward the GPA. Could not recover the lost points and ruined a few scholarship opportunities. We transferred out his senior year so not to be penalized further.

I am so heart broken that I've went through so much to get my upcoming 9th grader enrolled into this school "Virginia Connections Academy", was told to give them about 7 days to know if she's accepted and then right after her acceptance she'd be placed into classes. Well it's been well over a month, honestly approaching 2 months and I still haven't even gotten acceptance or denial. This is so frustrating because I've sent personal documents and now I feel as if I just have my child's documents floating around out there in the world somewhere in just anyone's hands. I've heard NOTHING and I've reached out several times, each time it's the same old tired story... Wait. Well I cant wait forever and a day because if she's denied I would have to register to home school again and the deadline is approaching. Why would you all rush me to get everything on my end complete and then tell me 7 days before acceptance and placement just to leave me hanging? This is not right and the entire process has only added stress in my life when I'm already dealing with so much. Thanks for nothing and please properly discard my child's documents please. This has been nothing short of a NIGHTMARE!

Location: Connections Academy Brand

I had my kids enrolled for 7 years. They expelled my 1st grader. A 6 YEAR OLD CHILD.The work curriculum is ridiculous. They aren't willing to work with you when life serves you difficult circumstances. Basically. Your child is a number. That's it. There are WAY more Options than this liberal quack job of a school.

Location: Arizona Connections Academy

School jumped teacher all year and has moved my child down way below his levels this year. I have been with y'all 5 years and I am not pleased with SCCA This year They really dropped the ball this year

Immunization records for online school is ludicrous. This stupidity is a complete turn-away!

Where do I begin? They didn't make enrollment easy, I spoke to 15 different people who all told me 15 different things, in the end I had to enroll my daughter into a different school entirely which is sad because my daughter really would have benefited from virtually learning. Every document we submitted was rejected even though we submitted what we were told we could submit. You want kids to be apart of hi out program, yet you make it so hard for the parents to Enroll... Just don't understand. If you live in HUD or government housing, I do not recommend this program for your child because they choose not to understand your situation nor understand your "leasing" terms.

Location: Florida Connections Academy

My daughter has never loved school, but 8th grade Connections has been a new level of hate. NOTHING let me repeat, NOTHING is done by the staff with the thought of "kids should go at their own pace" or "every kid is different, and has to have a variety of options to fit their needs" in mind. Due to past schools, my daughter has had an absolutely awful experience with teachers, so it doesn't help that your child will have to talk with them EXTREMELY often no matter how they are doing. Calling people over phone is one of my daughter's fears, and it's obvious that no staff member gives a flying f*ck about it. My 8th grade daughter is doing school work that I would have been doing in late high school, and although that may be because of change over the years, they should be able to teach it better. You may be thinking "What if your child is just dumb?" And I dont blame you, but mind that 3 of her friends have also recently started connections, and there parents have also said it has been a terrible experience with just about everything.

My apologies for the long paragraph or any grammar issues

Each teacher has their own way of submitting work. It's very confusing. Daughter is failing PE already. Takes 9 to 10 hrs a day of work most is technical issues I need to help and try to understand how to upload things for children. Will be complaining soon to dept of education.
Seems it would be better to homeschool and develop own curriculum.