Education
Flowing Wells Schools
Spanish Teacher/High School Trades/Construction
ARS Service Express
Plumbers Education
Flowing Wells Schools
Maestrp de Espanol Trades/Construction
Webb Equipment Company
Laborers Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator Production and Manufacturing
Pioneer Landscaping
Crushing Crew Engineering
Senior Project Manager

Instead of studying in a regular classroom, like the siblings did when they attended a charter school, one family opted to send their three children upstairs to get an education.

In a converted bedroom inside the Arellanos' two-story home, Cassie, Josie and Tristan Arellano attend Arizona Connections Academy from the comforts of their Northwest Side home and under the guidance of their mother, Stephanie. An upstairs bedroom serves as the classroom.

Serena, the Arellanos' youngest, is only 5 and will start the same school in the fall.

Arizona Connections Academy is a public-charter school that kindergarten through 10th-grade students attend from home. The students who are enrolled in the academy are considered public-school students and are not home-schooled. A home-schooled student is instructed in the required subject areas by a parent or guardian and must incur all costs associated with it.

The academy pairs families with certified teachers and supplies all of the required materials.

About 30 students in the Tucson area attend the free school.

Matthew Arellano, an IBM engineer, and Stephanie chose an education at home after their children experienced some setbacks at another charter school.

Cassie, 11, and Josie, 8, struggle with reading and didn't have their needs adequately addressed at their previous school, Stephanie Arellano said.

Before Cassie, a sixth-grader, enrolled in Arizona Connections Academy, she was reading at a second-grade level. Two years into her education at home, she is now reading on par with her grade level.

"Connections Academy took that stuff seriously," Stephanie said about Cassie's reading troubles. "They allowed us to go ahead and work with her on that."

Stephanie home-schooled Cassie in kindergarten and first grade, but she and her husband knew they would not go that route again.

"It was a lot of work," Matthew said about having to develop a curriculum.

Plus, he said many home-school programs he and his wife looked into were religion-based.

Both are satisfied with Connections Academy.

"It is one of the better online charter schools out there," Matthew said. "A lot of people might think they are missing out on interacting with other kids. When you think about it, they have friends in the neighborhood. I don't think they are missing out on anything."

Added Stephanie: "It's been awesome. I haven't regretted it."

What the students do not lack is an inviting classroom.

Though the space is cramped, the Arellano classroom is equipped with desks for each child, a futon that serves well during German lessons and an area for Mom's desk.

Crates against the wall serve as bookshelves and posters hung on the wall add to the educational ambience.

An average school day will start around 8 a.m. and finish up by 2 p.m. or later, depending on whether assignments have been completed.

Each day the students work on either math and science or reading and social studies. Their day also includes 20 minutes of physical activity and enrichment courses.

There is no cost to attend Arizona Connections Academy and families enrolled in the school receive a computer and printer at no cost. Books and other material also are provided.

Curriculum in the core subjects, such as reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies and geography, is offered online or in printed lesson plans.

Art, physical education, music, home life, foreign language, technology literacy and other enrichment courses also are offered by Connections Academy.

All curriculum is aligned to meet state standards and students are required to take state standardized tests.

Certified teachers monitor student performance and work with parents to keep children on task.

The Arellanos' teacher, Tabby Jackson, is based in Mesa but communicates with the family via e-mail and telephone. Completed work is sent to Jackson monthly.

"I am mostly here supporting the parents — to make sure the parents are doing a good job and keeping up with everything," Jackson said by phone.

School officials concede that Connections Academy, which has administrative offices in Mesa but is based in Baltimore, is not for every family.

"You have to be very disciplined to be at home and to be successful," Jackson said.

Keeping her children focused on schoolwork is Stephanie Arellano's top concern.

"The biggest chaos is when someone doesn't want to do something."

But mostly her children stay on task, she said.

Last week, Josie and Tristan, who are both in second grade, were learning about our nation's landmarks. And Cassie was reading "The Swiss Family Robinson."

Tristan, who is 7, is supposed to be in the first grade, but he worked at an accelerated pace to catch up to Josie.

"He catches on without even having to try," Stephanie Arellano said.

Though she is technically not enrolled in school yet, Serena is welcome in the classroom.

"She wants to be in here more than anybody," Stephanie said. "She is very advanced."

Serena walks around the house with a Barbie addition and subtraction book that rarely stumps her.

And she offers the others help with their assignments.

"I once got one of their answers right," Serena said.

Stephanie Arellano's classroom is not a far reach from a regular classroom.

She offers incentives for good behavior and doles out the discipline when her children act up — which can result in a seat next to the teacher.

"That was always the worst punishment I could think of," Stephanie said.

Field trips, spirit days and snack breaks also are part of the schedule.

For the most part, the Arellano children are not missing out on the offerings of a traditional education.

There are a few exceptions.

"The only thing I don't like is I don't really have kids I can meet," Cassie said. "Everything else is fine."

Younger sister Josie had her own thoughts on the subject.

"At Valentine's Day, we only get cards from each other," Josie said.

Stephanie and Matthew Arellano don't expect to send their children to school upstairs forever.

"We won't do it through high school," Stephanie Arellano said. "We think high school kids need to interact with other high school kids."

● Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at 806-7737 or arivera@azstarnet.com.