By Catelyn Di Leva
Executive Opinion Editor
Every summer, some Mira Costa students choose to take courses at private schools such as Halstrom Academy and Fusion Academy. While some may see these courses as an easy way out of taking required or challenging classes, putting others at a disadvantage, choosing to take classes elsewhere is a legitimate choice because it allows students the opportnity to excel in either graduation-required courses or remediation courses.
According to the Costa off-campus course information, students may take courses off-campus during the summer, whether courses are graduation requirements or not. Schools like Halstrom allow students to have a one-on-one or teacher-to-student experience. However, when students enroll in an off-campus course, it is their responsibility to put that grade on their Costa transcript. Once the transcript is sent to the student or parents from the school in which they were enrolled, the student must give their Costa counselor that transcript in order to receive credit for the off-campus course in which they were enrolled in.
According to Mira Costa counselor Brittney Oystrick, that students can take some classes at off- campus schools, which charge for those course, can be disadvatageous to students who cannot afford the fee off-campus or who do not have enough time to enroll in off-campus classes.
While it is true some students are not able to enroll off-campus, students who have the opportunity should be able to take advantage of the opportunity to excel in classes they may not succeed in otherwise because of the positive outcome.
These courses do give students an advantage because they may feel more comfortable and secure in the smaller learning environment and material. This in turn likely leads to being successful in the classes they take, which may not happen in larger classes at Costa. Because of this advantage, students should not shy away of this opportunity solely for this reason. Students should seek out a course experience that allows them to feel like a better student and have a better grasp of the material.
If a student at Costa has to take a remediation course and does not want to take it the following year or online, then Costa gives them that opportunity in a way that fits the student’s schedule. This is extremely beneficial for students who need to retake a class because they receive more attention for courses they had trouble with and it allows them to solely focus on the one subject and the questions or concerns they have.
Through Halstrom or Fusion, students experience a close relationship and strong communication with their teacher. Having the privilege of experiencing a communicative bond with their teachers allows those students to flourish in the subject they are learning, which in turn will lead to them feeling more secure with their work and more ambitious to excel. If students happen to feel more comfortable with the atmosphere of schools such as Halstrom or Fusion, it is another reason why they should take that opportunity to enroll at one of these schools.
When students have questions or do not understand the material in a private school course, the class can be created around their schedule and understanding of the material. This gives students the opportunity to be extremely successful in the class(es) they are enrolled in. If more students had the opportunity to succeed in academic environments such as these, it may lead to a greater understanding of classes the student shows genuine interest in.
In conclusion, private one-onone schools should not be looked down upon because they create valid and helpful experiences and opportunities for students who need or want to take a certain class they would rather take at a private school, despite an economic or time-consuming inequality.
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