February 1, 2023
Hello everyone,
We are writing today to let you know about a tough decision. As of June 2023, we will be disbanding SEA Online Classes as a multi-teacher platform.
SEA Online Classes has been very successful over the two and a half years of its existence, and it has continued to grow, but it is a lot of work. Since its launch (which was happening behind the scenes just before the pandemic), we’ve worked with hundreds of families and several teachers to bring high-quality online classes that we are proud of and stand behind.
At the same time, these years have been marked with huge changes collectively and personally. Many teachers have moved from online classrooms back into in-person opportunities or onto full-time positions elsewhere. SEA Homeschoolers has seen tremendous growth as so many families turned to homeschooling during the pandemic and found out it fit their needs well.
We (Blair and Michelle) came to a mutual decision that boiled down to hours in the day and focus on what most needs our time and attention.
Thank You for Your Trust in SEA Online Classes
First, we want to thank every family who has trusted us to be a part of your educational experience. We are so grateful to be a part of this community both as secular homeschooling moms ourselves and as educators. We know how important it is to find educational partners with shared values who deliver classes that work for our kids. All of the educators who have offered classes on this platform are honored to be a part of that work.
Many Teachers Are Continuing Teaching on Other Platforms
Secondly, we want to make it clear that dissolving SEA Online Classes as a collective entity does notmean all the classes you’ve come to know and love are ending. While logistics and time constraints have made the collective nature of the platform untenable, many of the educators who have made offerings at SEA Online Classes will continue to provide robust, meaningful secular homeschooling opportunities on other platforms.
One of our primary aims in this early communication is to provide plenty of time to find and use these alternative methods of taking the classes that matter to you. Another goal is to make it clear that the classes in which you’re already enrolled are continuing as planned. This is a careful, thoughtful decision and not an emergency situation. We are making choices that will allow us long-term stability and the ability to deliver quality educational experiences with no disruption.
We Love and Believe in the Secular Homeschooling Community
On a personal note, we want to tell you how much this community means to us and how hard this decision has been to make. Ultimately, we love the community that we’ve built together. More than anything, this decision is driven by a desire to honor our commitment to always bringing you the highest quality experience we can. The secular homeschooling community deserves robust, engaging online classes. An intersection of technological pressures (running a multi-teacher platform is complicated and time-consuming), logistical concerns, and changes to many teachers’ personal schedules over the years has led us to believe that we can deliver higher quality, more personalized offerings independently.
Key Details About Next Steps (No Disruption to Existing Classes)
Here are the important details about what this decision means for current SEA Online Classes families and their ability to find classes from SEA Online Classes teachers in the future:
- The SEA Online Classes platform will continue with no disruption to existing classes until May 31, 2023. All existing classes end before this date, so no families will need to switch anything about their log-in, contact information, or registration. Your current class registrations will continue as planned on the existing platform.
- SEA Homeschoolers will retain the SEA Online Classes brand and name; however, it will go into a hiatus. Over the school year 2023-24 there will be the development of Blair’s offerings into self-paced classes, many of them based on material from live online classes.
- As of June 1, 2023, the Teachable platform for SEA Online Classes will transfer to Dayla Learning (that’s Michelle’s existing online platform for online writing, literature, and philosophy classes). This has a few important implications for registered families:
- As of June 1, 2023, all currently registered families on the SEA Online Classes Teachable platform will be automatically registered for the Dayla Learning Teachable platform. Families who wish to remain registered with Dayla Learning do not have to make any changes to Teachable registration.
- Families who do not wish to remain registered with Dayla Learning can simply delete their accounts after their current SEA Online Classes enrollment end dates.
- The SEA Online Classes Book Clubs will continue to run in exclusive partnership with SEA Homeschoolers. Registration will be through the Dayla Learning Teachable platform, and delivery of materials will follow the same method.
- The SEA Online Classes website will remain active through December 31, 2023.
- The website will include links to help families follow SEA Online Classes’ educators to other platforms so you can continue taking the classes you love.
We have been in frequent, ongoing communication about the smoothest transition possible for families because we both believe wholeheartedly in the mission of SEA Online Classes and the importance of high-quality, engaging classes for the secular homeschooling community. It is important to us that this move is not rushed, and we will do everything we can to make it as easy for families as possible.
We will also continue to be colleagues and friends who work together on the projects we both care so much about.
Continue to Follow the Teachers You’ve Found
We also want to make it clear that we have been in ongoing communication with the educators who offer classes on our platform about this decision. We know that they put their heart into this work, and we wanted to provide plenty of time to explore and choose alternative platforms for offering their amazing classes. We want to make sure that you have the opportunity to continue following and taking classes with every SEA Online Classes educator who has ongoing offerings elsewhere.
With that in mind, here is the current list of places you can continue to find classes from SEA Online Classes educators:
- Blair Lee will not be teaching during the 2023-2024 school year. Please reach out to her via emailwith any questions, comments, or just to say “Hi!”
- Michelle Parrinello-Cason will continue to offer classes through Dayla Learning. You can join her mailing list here and follow her on Facebook.
- Alison Blanco is offering classes on Outschool.
- Sabrina Weiss will offer classes at The Hollingworth Institute and Dayla Learning and can be contacted on Facebook and by email.
- Alycia Wright is offering classes on Outschool.
- Kathy Ceceri has programs, materials, and more available on her website.
This list will continue to be updated, and all changes will be reflected on the SEA Online Classes website through the end of the year, 2023.
We are making this announcement months in advance of the changes because our top concern is that families who rely on our platform have time to plan without disruptions to their homeschooling. We’re still proud and excited to be on your homeschooling team and are looking forward to continuing to provide opportunities for your learners!
Sincerely,
Blair and Michelle