76: Schooling in a Pandemic: Homeschool, Online, and Distance Learning Options and Advice from a Utah State Board of Education Member Laura Belnap

Distance learning, homeschooling, online education oh my! All of the facebook mom groups I belong to are exploding right now with questions and discussion threads with hundreds of comments from other parents panicking about their options for this fall, what to do, what their options even are and how to decide what's best for their children and their schooling this fall. Today I'm interviewing a dear friend of mine, Laura Belnap, who is the MOST qualified person I know to speak on this subject who will be able to break all of this down for us parents. Laura Collier Belnap has her bachelor's and master’s in education, is a pioneer in homeschooling and online education in the state of Utah, where she helped establish online education in 2002, working as the director of Utah Online Academies for three different school districts. She is currently the director of Utah Online Schools which serves over 10,000 students with 102 teachers and staff. She has served on several different nonprofit boards and received the Soccer Mom of the Nation Award, the “Innovation in Education Award,” and most recently the Jon M. Hunstman award for Innovation.  She schooled her children at home for more than 14 years which changed her life and her relationship with her children. Laura is active in legislative, community and religious causes. Laura is the proud mother of six children and 10 beautiful grandchildren and is married to her high school sweetheart Eric Belnap. On a personal note, she has been a lifelong mentor to me and each of my siblings and has had an enormous impact on each of our lives. She was elected to the Utah state board of Education in 2014 where she serves as the finance chair. www.naturalcycles.com/mintarrow for 20% off your annual subscription and a Free thermometer! Produced by Dear Media