DICKSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — The 8th grader at Volunteer State Virtual Academy is also taking 9th grade math, something she said would be harder to do in a traditional school setting.
"I'm in eighth grade, but I'm also in ninth grade, like in math," Anna Toundas said.
Anna has autism, and she said virtual learning meets needs that brick-and-mortar schools would struggle to address.
"It helps me with some needs that would be harder for normal schools," Anna said.
Inside the Toundas home, school looks a little different. Tea on the counter, desktops at the table, and two students who said virtual learning changed everything.
Their mother, Melanie, said the family didn't plan to leave traditional schools until COVID gave them the option.
"I never thought I would have my kids learning at home. COVID hit... and so, we started our kids learning in the local public virtual school option," Melanie said.
Now, a bill set to be discussed in the Tennessee legislature next week would require, not just allow, the state education commissioner to direct a local district to close a virtual school that meets certain low-performance criteria. If that happens, the nonprofit or for-profit provider that ran the school could not operate another virtual school in Tennessee for five years.
Melanie said she worries that decision could rely heavily on state testing.
"If a school is doing poorly on those scores, they will essentially give them three years to raise those scores or they will shut down," Melanie said.
Anna said test scores don't tell the full story.
"I really think that TCAP scores don't really reflect people's intelligence," she said.
Anna also said virtual school has given students struggling with bullying a safer space.
"There are a lot of people out there who have been harassed… their mental health was horrible," Anna said.
Her brother William ended a letter to lawmakers with a simple message.
"In conclusion, VSVA should not close," William said.
For the Toundas family, the fight is about preserving an option they say works. They shared additional testimonies from parents who asked not to be named, citing concerns that speaking publicly could cause further anxiety for their children or create awkward situations in their communities.
Voices from the virtual classroom: What families are saying
Families across Tennessee have submitted testimonies in support of keeping virtual schools open. Here is a selection of what they shared.
A student speaks out
Tregan Fought, 18, said virtual school has been essential to her ability to graduate.
"For many of us, VSVA represents our last option for safety, stability, and a high-quality education. To lose this would be a profound loss and a betrayal by our local government," Fought said.
Fought said that without VSVA, her health difficulties would prevent her from finishing school.
"Without VSVA, given my health difficulties, I would not be able to graduate," Fought said.
Bullying drove families to virtual school
Several parents said bullying in traditional schools was the primary reason they turned to virtual learning.
One parent said her son was bullied by both teachers and students at his previous school for three years, causing health problems. Since switching to virtual school, she said he has become a straight-A student.
"Virtual School has been a blessing and I thank God every day for it," the parent said.
Another parent said her daughter's mental health declined severely due to bullying in middle school.
"Virtual school truly saved my daughter," the parent said. "Moving to online learning gave her a safe space to heal, rebuild her confidence, and feel like herself again."
Hannah Graves said her son Nolan struggled with ADHD in a traditional classroom setting, where she received constant calls from the school. Since enrolling at VSVA, she said he has thrived.
"I believe that this is the best type of school for him. It allows him to be able to have some freedom with his learning and it truly shows," Graves said.
April White said her youngest child was bullied starting in kindergarten, which began to affect her academically.
"Not only did it break her spirit, it started to affect her academically because she started to shut down," White said.
White said VSVA turned that around.
"She has thrived academically and has loved every minute of it," White said. "Every child deserves to learn at their own pace and feel safe doing it."
One parent said her high school daughter was bullied and cornered by other students after the family moved mid-year, and that school administrators were unwilling to intervene. She said virtual school gave her daughter smaller classes and direct support when her grades slipped.
"Virtual school for our family means my child isn't a target," the parent said.
One parent said her older daughter's self-confidence was destroyed in public school kindergarten. She said switching to virtual school eliminated bullying and anxiety, and that her younger daughter — who has severe nut and fish allergies — is also safer learning from home.
"Virtual school is VERY important for the safety and wellbeing of BOTH of my daughters in different ways," the parent said.
One parent said her children were subjected to racial slurs at their brick-and-mortar schools and that teachers and principals took no action.
"Now they are thriving knowing that they do not have to worry about being bullied or called the N word anymore," the parent said.
Students with special needs
Several parents of children with disabilities said virtual school provided accommodations that traditional schools failed to deliver.
William and Rhonda Wade said their son, who has ADHD, separation anxiety, and Tourette's syndrome, experienced bullying and inconsistent IEP support at his previous school. Since joining VSVA, they said he is more engaged and confident.
"He genuinely likes school again," the Wades said.
Aleshia Armstrong said her second-grade son had perfect attendance at VSVA after struggling with illness and bullying at his previous school.
"We parents deserve to have the option for our children to learn safely from home," Armstrong said.
Narkita Dobson, a single mother whose son lost both his father and his younger sister at a young age, said her son struggled in traditional school due to grief, overcrowding, and a lack of encouragement. She said a note from his math teacher telling him to ask his mother for help was the turning point.
"I immediately put him into VSVA," Dobson said. "Since he has been enrolled at VSVA, not only have his grades improved but also his speech therapist at VSVA said he's shown marked improvements in coming out of his shell."
One mother said her daughter, who is on the autism spectrum and has an IEP, faced inconsistent support and an overwhelming classroom environment in traditional school. Since enrolling at VSVA, she said the transformation has been remarkable.
"She is calmer, more confident, and able to focus in ways that were not possible before," the mother said.
One parent said her son, who is autistic and has ADHD, was bullied and did not receive adequate support in traditional school due to large class sizes. She said virtual school changed that entirely and urged lawmakers to reconsider the bill.
"For my son, virtual education is not optional — it is essential," the parent said.
Mental health and safety
Several parents described virtual school as a lifeline for children whose mental health had deteriorated in traditional settings.
Amanda Harris said VSVA saved her daughter's life after severe bullying in Rutherford County schools.
"This school has legit changed our lives in the best way and taken away the thoughts of self-harm from my daughter," Harris said.
One parent said her daughter went from dreading school every day to smiling every morning since enrolling in VSVA. She said the situation at her daughter's previous school escalated to a threat of violence.
"I got a text from my daughter saying that the one was going to make a kill list and my daughter's name was going to be on it," the parent said.
One parent said another parent at a school meeting shared that their child had been suicidal due to bullying but had turned around since enrolling in virtual school.
"I would rather move to a different state than have to worry about whether or not my kid is going to be coming home after school days," the parent said.
Rural communities and school environment concerns
Diane Cummings said she lives in a small town where her local public school has struggled with vaping, drugs, and alcohol use among students. She said virtual school is her primary defense against those pressures.
"I chose to have my kids attend virtual public schools because it's my only defense to keep my children safe," Cummings said.
Cummings also issued a challenge to lawmakers.
"If Tennessee wants to abolish the online public schools then they need to do better in the brick-and-mortar schools," Cummings said.
One parent described a years-long struggle with a school system that she said failed her autistic son from the time he was 4 years old, including teachers who mocked him and a kindergarten teacher who ignored him because he already knew the curriculum. She said virtual school rebuilt what the traditional system destroyed.
"To put an autistic child all the way back to square one and make that child have to rebuild themselves at this age is terribly unfair to that child, and many will not recover," the parent said.
She also pushed back directly on the use of test scores as a measure of school quality.
"Many children with IEPs do not test well, and so to say that low TCAP scores are the determining factor is not a fair appraisal of how well a school is actually working," the parent said.
Academic progress
Beyond safety, several parents pointed to measurable academic gains since switching to virtual school.
One parent said her daughter, who had been falling behind on state testing and benchmarks at a magnet school, was retested after switching to VSVA and found to have a learning disability that had gone undetected for years.
"Virtual public school has provided us with tools to help our daughter succeed," the parent said.
One parent said her high school daughter's level of education has surpassed her grade level since enrolling in VSVA.
"Her main focus is now education instead of the negative actions of others," the parent said.
One parent said her Tennessee Virtual Academy student is in her fourth year of virtual school after leaving in-person school due to bullying about her height and weight.
"Since being at TNVA, she is more focused and her mental health has turned a major turn around," the parent said.
Are you a Tennessee parent, student, or educator with a story to share about virtual learning? We want to hear from you. Watch our full report above and reach out directly to reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com — your experience could help shape our continued coverage of this issue.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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