{"id":466778,"date":"2026-10-15T13:20:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T13:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/466778\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:20:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T13:20:17","slug":"middle-schooler-finds-freedom-to-fly-by-schooling-online-texas-tech-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/466778\/","title":{"rendered":"Middle Schooler Finds Freedom to Fly by Schooling Online | Texas Tech Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ty Johnson, a Texas Tech K-12 sixth-grader, has time to do all the things he loves,
\n including flying drones.<\/p>\n

\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n

\"Portrait<\/p>\n

Building. Fixing. Solving. These things have a commonality in the life of Texas Tech
\n K-12 sixth-grader Ty Johnson. These are what he loves to do the most, and now that
\n he\u2019s taking classes at his own pace, he has more time for each of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 11-year-old describes himself as the kind of person who loves figuring out how
\n things work and finding ways to fix or improve them. Some of his favorite hobbies
\n are fixing lawnmowers, 3D printing, flying drones and experimenting with technology.<\/p>\n

\"TyOne of Ty’s favorite hobbies is fixing lawnmowers. <\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoy hands-on projects where I can build something, take it apart, solve
\n a problem and see how everything works,\u201d Ty gushed. \u201cI\u2019m a problem solver, a hands-on
\n learner and a technology fan, and I\u2019m always excited to learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting the online school in the spring of 2025, Ty was ready for a change \u2013 again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ty'sThe Johnson family: Mallory, Brandon, Ty and Cole (center)<\/p>\n

Up to that point the precocious youngster experienced three diverse school situations.
\n He started kindergarten in a private hybrid school, switched to homeschooling, then
\n went to public school before he and his family found the right fit in Texas Tech K-12.<\/p>\n

Ty\u2019s mom, Mallory, a Texas Tech<\/a> alumna in the College of Education<\/a>, says having experience with these different types of schools has helped Ty learn
\n what works best for him. Texas Tech K-12 has allowed him to understand more about
\n himself as a person and a learner. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was already familiar with Texas Tech and the opportunities it provides,\u201d Mallory
\n said. \u201cWhen I learned about its online K-12 program from other homeschool families
\n in the community, I really wanted to give it a try for Ty. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"YardThe yard card celebrates Ty finding his place at Texas Tech K-12.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an educator and a dyslexia therapist, I understood the importance of finding the
\n right environment for him. Through research and conversations with others, I became
\n confident that this is a high-quality program that is a great fit for Ty and the way
\n he learns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since enrolling in Texas Tech K-12, Ty is living his best life with his mom, dad Brandon
\n \u2013 a pilot for Flexjet with a not-so-typical work schedule, another great reason this
\n choice works for them \u2013 little brother Cole and his rescue dog Iris.<\/p>\n

\"TyTy relaxes with his rescue dog, Iris.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really thrive from the freedom and flexibility of learning from home,\u201d Ty offered.
\n \u201cI can work at my own pace, and I have more opportunities to be creative with my schoolwork.
\n I also enjoy using technology to learn and complete assignments because it makes school
\n more interesting and lets me use some of the things I\u2019m good at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ty also loves being a Red Raider. He attended the very first Raider Nation Day<\/a>, and it was \u201can awesome experience.\u201d He enjoyed being included in the traditions
\n and getting to see what Texas Tech K-12 all is about, giving him the satisfaction
\n of being part of something bigger than himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TyTy has attended several Texas Tech K-12 events, this one at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion
\n on campus.<\/p>\n

Mallory hopes Ty finds the confidence to tackle hard things as well as the things
\n he is good at doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like that he has the freedom and time to take the things he is passionate
\n about to a whole new level,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mallory values being able to know what Ty is learning each day and staying connected
\n to his education. She appreciates that every assignment has a clear rubric, so both
\n she and Ty know what is expected and there\u2019s no guessing about what he needs to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI also really value the one-on-one interaction he has with his teachers,\u201d Mallory
\n added. \u201cIt has created a partnership between Ty, his teachers and me. I can be involved
\n and support him in learning, while he still has accountability to his teachers and
\n responsibility for completing his work. I feel that balance has not only been good
\n for his education but has also strengthened my relationship with Ty.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TyTy poses with Raider Red at Raider Nation Day on the Texas Tech campus.<\/p>\n

Ty\u2019s favorite part of learning through Texas Tech K-12 is being able to control his
\n learning pace and how he takes in information. If something is more difficult, he
\n can take his time to really understand it. If he already understands a concept, he
\n can keep moving. It\u2019s an environment he would also recommend to other families.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like being able to learn in a way that works for me,\u201d Ty said. \u201cYou won\u2019t regret
\n choosing Texas Tech K-12. You will learn a lot, have more time to spend with your
\n family and have more time to explore the things you are interested in outside of school.
\n The sky is the limit, so don\u2019t limit yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ty wants to start his own business someday, but the young student is not sure exactly
\n what kind of business he wants to have yet. He is sure it will involve things he enjoys,
\n like technology, fixing things or even creating something new.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TyTy loves to fly drones and is contemplating a future using that skill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m especially interested in drones and how they can be used in agriculture,\u201d Ty
\n explained. \u201cI think it\u2019s awesome that technology can help farmers monitor crops, save
\n time and make their jobs easier. Who knows? Maybe someday I\u2019ll help create the next
\n big technology used on farms.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his focus on the things he loves, like flying drones, Ty is not currently involved
\n in other extracurricular activities. Mallory says he is looking forward to joining
\n Civil Air Patrol when he turns 12, where he hopes to develop leadership skills, discipline
\n and a stronger sense of community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside of school, one of the pastimes Ty enjoys most is spending time with his little
\n brother. He has always had a special bond with Cole and has played an important role
\n in teaching his little brother how to walk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TyTy enjoys spending time with his younger brother, Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cTy loves being involved with him, playing together and watching him learn and grow,\u201d
\n Mallory said, beaming with pride in her oldest son. \u201cHis patience and willingness
\n to help Cole are qualities that really show the caring and responsible side of who
\n Ty is.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ty Johnson, a Texas Tech K-12 sixth-grader, has time to do all the things he loves, including flying…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[168,170,169],"class_list":["post-466778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lubbock","tag-lubbock","tag-lubbock-headlines","tag-lubbock-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}