December 6, 2007
And so it begins in earnest...
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL: Virtual schools dealt blow
We are now seeing the battles begin to heat up over virtual schools. this story today here in Wisconsin shows how contentious this issue is now becoming. I predicted these battles almost two years ago on this blog but they are now happening.
"Virtual schools allow students to learn over the Internet under the direction of their parents. Students from any district can enroll in them under Wisconsin 's open enrollment policy.Supporters say they are more effective for some students, less expensive than traditional schools and popular with families who prefer to home-school their children. The schools are growing quickly across the country and in Wisconsin.
But teachers unions and other critics say the schools take away money from traditional ones and lack state oversight."
This ruling is specifically targets at the particular format of virtual schools that are led by parents with certified teacher support, versus states with a much higher level of direct instructor involvement. I have asked a few people whether this ruling will impact all forms of online education in Wisconsin and there is no clear answer.
It is clear from the article, however, that there are those who have found value and benefit from the virtual schools:
"I 've been on the phone and e-mail all day with a number of parents who are just scared to death about what 's going to happen, " she said. "Many have kids who are thriving for the first time. This is a real kick in the teeth to us."
I am not going to say that we know all of the answers right now in terms of how online education should be utilized for K-12 students, but it will certainly play a role and pulling the plug completely is unlikely to benefit anyone.
Posted by Rovy at December 6, 2007 12:24 PM
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Comments
Rovy,
Funny that you picked this up today, as I posted something about it yesterday as well - see http://mkbnl.blogspot.com/2007/12/problems-are-brewing-in-winsconsin.html
MKB
Posted by: Michael Barbour at December 8, 2007 11:45 AM