I am writing to express my profound gratitude to the state of Maine for approving a new, state-of-the-art learning option for students who don’t fit the mold of public school.

Our daughter struggled in public school for many years because of a different learning style as well as high sensitivity. We tried many different avenues to get her the support she needed, but ultimately it became apparent that our public school system couldn’t make the appropriate accommodations to enable her success.

Increasing social struggles compounded the issue, and when bullying became constant, we were advised by her doctor to remove our daughter from public high school and seek alternate schooling.

At the time, Maine didn’t have a charter school close enough for us to utilize. We looked into many private schools, but they were cost-prohibitive. We finally stumbled upon a private online high school based in California that seemed to fit our needs.

While the courses were good and challenging, the expense was high, and the time difference made it difficult to coordinate daily lessons and meetings with teachers. By the end of our daughter’s freshman year, we were feeling discouraged and desperate for a new opportunity to arise.

At that very time, Maine Connections Academy was approved! Maine Connections Academy offers challenging courses, incredibly accessible teachers based here in Maine, field trips and many opportunities for socializing and support. Our daughter is learning more than ever before, and she is finally happy and feeling good about herself.

Again, I want to express my most sincere thanks to the state of Maine for school choice, and especially for approving Maine Connections Academy. It has made such an enormous difference in our daughter’s education and her life.

Summer Christian

parent, Maine Connections Academy student

Eliot