Abbarno meets online with Washington Virtual Academy student

On Jan. 25, during National School Choice Week, I had the opportunity to meet with Madalynn Stark from Centralia, a Washington Virtual Academy junior who is also enrolled in Running Start. Madalynn has been enrolled in WAVA for 12 years. When not in school she enjoys a variety of extracurricular activities, including soccer, piano and voice lessons, volunteering at a local food bank and working part-time at a local coffee shop.

“WAVA is a great tool for education. In this time of COVID I am blessed to have teachers trained as online teachers. I feel like I have an advantage over other Running Start students because of my lifetime of virtual learning. But even before the pandemic I felt fortunate because online schooling gives me the time and freedom to explore my interests outside of school,” Madalynn said.

The meeting was facilitated by the Washington Digital Public Schools Alliance, a coalition of parents who have joined together to advocate for full-time online public schools.

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