Fusion Academy

[Anonymous]

Our guidance counselor is terrible so unable to get a straight answer. DC had to withdraw from MCPS for mental health issues and now looking to finish last few classes in order to graduate.
Does anyone know if credits taken at Fusion will transfer to MCPS?

[Anonymous]

I don’t know the answer, but you might want to reach out to the virtual academy first and see if they have any space.

[Anonymous]

Are you trying to re-enroll in MCPS? and already have credits that you want to transfer back in? Or are you not planning to enroll in MCPS and are trying to finish a HS diploma elsewhere? If you aren't coming back to MCPS, it seems like you would use the homeschooling process to finish high school.

[Anonymous]

Talk to Fusion. I'm sure this is something they've seen before.

[Anonymous]

I would reach out to virtual first. They have a wait list but may let your child in due to health/mental health issues. At least its free. Fusion seems like its not that great and low standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would reach out to virtual first. They have a wait list but may let your child in due to health/mental health issues. At least its free. Fusion seems like its not that great and low standards.

“Seems,” PP?

Contact your counselor and find out what’s acceptable. Get that person to help you contact the virtual academy to get a referral to get in there. If no virtual is available and the counselor confirms in writing that credits from Fusion would transfer, then contact Fusion. They are fully accredited and you don’t have to take a full load, just enough to graduate. They will give you a hard sell but hold to the minimum of what you need because it is expensive. The teachers can be very good. Depends on who get, just like any school.

[Anonymous]

Where does the "terrible" guidance counselor work? Fusion?? MCPS?? Do private schools really have bad counselors? I thought that was only something for overloaded public school counselors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would reach out to virtual first. They have a wait list but may let your child in due to health/mental health issues. At least its free. Fusion seems like its not that great and low standards.

“Seems,” PP?

Contact your counselor and find out what’s acceptable. Get that person to help you contact the virtual academy to get a referral to get in there. If no virtual is available and the counselor confirms in writing that credits from Fusion would transfer, then contact Fusion. They are fully accredited and you don’t have to take a full load, just enough to graduate. They will give you a hard sell but hold to the minimum of what you need because it is expensive. The teachers can be very good. Depends on who get, just like any school.

It wouldn't go through the counselor. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where does the "terrible" guidance counselor work? Fusion?? MCPS?? Do private schools really have bad counselors? I thought that was only something for overloaded public school counselors.

I'm assuming the guidance counselor is MCPS. Fusion is a for profit money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the "terrible" guidance counselor work? Fusion?? MCPS?? Do private schools really have bad counselors? I thought that was only something for overloaded public school counselors.

I'm assuming the guidance counselor is MCPS. Fusion is a for profit money grab.

This is correct.

[Anonymous]

Is there a reason that Fusion doesn't answer this question? Can't their school provide info on what transfers into MCPS?

[Anonymous]

High school counselor here. First, you should reach out to the resource counselor at your school if yours isn’t helpful. There is a program within MCPS called Online Pathways to Graduation. It’s self-paced with periodic teacher check ins. Visit this link to learn more about it and to see if last few classes your child needs are offered through this program.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/onlinelearning/courses/pathway.aspx

I don’t believe MCPS will grant MCPS diploma if child withdraws and takes classes at Fusion. The diploma would have to be granted by Fusion.

[Anonymous]

OP, did you ever get an answer to this question? I am curious to know if MCPS would accept credits from Fusion, as I am
trying to navigate a similar issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school counselor here. First, you should reach out to the resource counselor at your school if yours isn’t helpful. There is a program within MCPS called Online Pathways to Graduation. It’s self-paced with periodic teacher check ins. Visit this link to learn more about it and to see if last few classes your child needs are offered through this program.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/onlinelearning/courses/pathway.aspx

I don’t believe MCPS will grant MCPS diploma if child withdraws and takes classes at Fusion. The diploma would have to be granted by Fusion.

I interpreted the OP to mean that after some time at Fusion, her child wants to transfer back to their local MCPS school to finish up and graduate.

[Anonymous]

Fusion in Rockville is accreditted and 100 percent saved my child when he needed it most during a transition before returning to MCPS. What a change of mind I have had toward Fusion. Yes it is expensive and no it is not rigorous but the 1;1 attention to your student is worth it's weight in gold. The scheduling is flexible and the director Joe at the Rockville center is ethical, caring and goal-oriented for your child. My son went for the fall semester of freshman year and the credits transferred to MCPS. He started with a 4.0 and from this point, his GPA is his to go up/down now. I used to snicker at Fusion as a cop out or a holding center for out of the box kids--- but now I hold it in high regard-- for a kidlike mine who needed a place to be confident and successful before diving back into a huge high school in MCPS. It resets the pattern for success in the students' mind- which is golden. two years later, my son is taking AP and HN courses in MCPS and earning A/B. Do consider the school for a semester. You do not have to transfer there indefinitely.