Lauren

Headshot of Lauren
Headshot of Lauren

The Bartl family’s goal was to enroll their son “into one of the strongest school programs [they] could find.” Lauren Bartl researched many possibilities, looking for the “program that taught using the best techniques,” with “electives options, language courses, and clubs,” where her son would “be part of a classroom filled with attentive peers.” They decided on Pearson Online Academy.    

More Flexible and More Rigorous

The Bartls had always fully embraced homeschooling, never considering “traditional schooling methods” for their son. They actively led the initial years of his education, choosing the subjects, making sure “we weren’t missing any pivotal school-based materials or lessons,” and immersing themselves in the local homeschooling community, including “clubs and groups” for their son. 

Eventually, Lauren realized her son needed a more robust educational experience. Pearson Online Academy “crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i's we had hoped for,” she said, “while offering more potential for growth and exploration.” 

The Bartl family recognized the academic caliber of the Pearson curriculum. “The school teaches at the highest levels in the country in each of the four core subjects,” she explains. They’re also thrilled with the teaching and the support. “We have loved all our son’s teachers,” she says, mentioning specifically that his primary point-of-contact “is supportive and available … a fantastic liaison … and talented at teaching in a fun and positive way.”   

Friends at School, Friends in the Neighborhood 

As for extracurriculars, Lauren reports “our son is trying out all kinds of things.” This includes both Pearson-related activities such as “gaming and cooking clubs,” as well as activities outside of school: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, soccer, baseball, “creative mode in Minecraft,” and more.  

Lauren believes that unstructured time is just as important. Her son “loves playing outside in the neighborhood or at the parks with other kids.” The flexibility of Pearson Online Academy makes it all work. “Our son can go to school on the same schedule as the neighboring kids and we make sure he can go out to play with them when they get off the bus.” 


“Pearson Online Academy has been a wonderful blessing to us and our son.”  
— Lauren