Families of Cyberschool Children Pull Together as a Community to Provide Support for New ‘Cyberschool’ Parents

DENVER (March 25, 2020) – Families of children across the state who work to educate their children every day through cyberschool education are uniting to support parents who were forced to change to online schooling amidst COVID-19. The parents who are part of the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families (CCCF) network are sharing experiences, creative educational ideas and resources through a Facebook page, Parent Support for Online Learning. Cyberschool families are encouraging parents to join the group for support and resources.

Additionally, the Facebook page added a mentorship program for parents new to online learning seeking specific help from a parent or family member with experience. You get or give support to another member of the community by signing up and matching with a partner. Once matched, you will receive helpful conversation starters each week to get to know each other better and to share your goals.

“The national pandemic is disrupting the daily routines of millions of students, educators, and families across Colorado,” said Tillie Elvrum, cyberschool parent, president of CCCF and former president of the National Coalition for Public School Options. “With schools shutting their physical doors, families in the CCCF community are committed to providing support and resources for parents who are new to online schooling. It’s disorienting and stressful, but as seasoned cyberschool parents, we want to help.”

The community of cyberschool families is a committed group of families who spend hundreds of hours at home with their children. They are familiar with online education and have the skillsets, experiences and resources to share with families who have not experienced online education before.

“One of the most utilized parent, family and educator resources for Colorado cyberschool families is our parent support network on Facebook. I encourage all Colorado parents and educators to join the Facebook page to seek guidance and answers. We also encourage new families and educators that join the group to share their experiences and tips with our online community,” said Elvrum.

Additionally, to continue to support families in our state, the CCCF parent community created a list of resources easily accessible by the public. The list includes parent lesson plans recently released by CDE, information on Stride Adaptive Learning Software, among several other resources which can all be found here: http://www.coloradocyberfamilies.org/covid19-resources.

“These are extremely challenging times for students, educators and parents. We are ready, willing, and able to support parents and families who are now using online education for their children. Although online schools might not be for everyone, CCCF is here for anyone during this COVID-19 pandemic and we look forward to working with parents, educators and students across the state,” said Elvrum.

For more information about CCCF and to find the extended list of resources, visit: http://www.coloradocyberfamilies.org/.

About the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families 
The Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families is a group of committed parents who have united to be powerful and vocal advocates for cyberschools and online learning in Colorado. The coalition believes that all children should have free and equal access to public online schools without restrictions. For additional information on CCCF, please visit www.coloradocyberfamilies.org. 

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