BATTLEGROUND
An in-depth look at state-level policy clashes over the future of distance learning.
VirginiaMon, 13 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +0000
Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to change the way Virginia channels state education money to students attending virtual schools.
Under the proposed legislation, students who enroll in virtual school programs would be funded based on where they live, not where they enroll. The per pupil amount of local and state funds would be capped at $6,500.
The virtual education funding proposal is part of an omnibus education reform plan championed by the McDonnell. The package includes overhauling the public school teacher contracts, tenure and the evaluation process.
One of the measures in the reform package, HB 1173, would mandate that 90 percent of per-pupil funding follow a student to a public charter school
"It's been a bleak week for public education," said Robley Jones of the Virginia Education Association. Much attention, he said, is being paid to virtual and charter schools when public schools educate the vast majority of the state's children.
That said, the VEA does agree that a new mechanism is needed to fund virtual education in Virginia.
"It only seems logical that a virtual school would not require student transportation, food services, custodial, and other costs related to the cost of a bricks and mortar education," according to the VEA statement. "Virginia currently spends state dollars to fund the Virginia Virtual Academy at about the same per-pupil cost as a bricks and mortar school. The true cost of a virtual school education should determine the level of funding, not the ADM (Average Daily Membership) amount currently in use."
Michigan
Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000
At long last, Michigan's House Education Committee approved SB 619, which will lift the cyber charter enrollment cap.
The approved bill does have some restriction. But after months of wrangling, it is head for a full House vote.
Michigan's state Senate has already approved SB 619.
Under the revised legislation approved by the House committee, the number of cyber charters schools in Michigan would be capped 15 until 2013. After that, the bill would allow the number to increase to 30.
The bill also states that school districts, which also offer cyber programs, cannot authorize more than one of the programs.
The version that passed the state Senate had no restrictions on the number of schools.
The House bill also caps the number of students enrolled in cyber charters statewide to half the number of students attending Michigan’s largest district. State law now limits enrollment to 400 students.
Opponents of the measure said cyber charters in Michigan are expanding too quickly. They asked for more time to review the two cyber charters schools that opened in fall 2010.
Proponents argued Proponents of SB 619 believe it offers more options to students, as well as ties in strong use of technology.
"This is a case of the education establishment in this state not wanting parents to have choices,” Education Committee chairman Thomas McMillin told MLive.com. “They want to be in control.”
Michigan
Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:15:00 +0000
This may be showdown week for Michigan's SB 619, the bill that would lift the enrollment cap on virtual charter schools in the state.
After months of delay and weeks of hearings, Feb. 8 is the target for the Michigan House Education Committee to take a vote. If the measure makes it out of committee, it will go to the full house for a vote. The Michigan state Senate has already approved the legislation.
Currently, there are two cyber schools in Michigan with an enrollment of 400 students each. Should the bill pass, the cap on the number of schools would be lifted, and the 400 student per school enrollment cap would be increased to 1,000.
Other provisions in the bill include:
--Eliminating the requirement that cyber school students previously have been enrolled in a public school.
--Requiring cyber school operators to demonstrate experience delivering a program that improves student academic achievement. Currently, the state requires the applicant demonstrate experience in serving urban and at-risk student populations through an educational model involving a significant cyber component.
Proponents of SB 619 say the bill offers more options to students, as well as ties in strong use of technology.
Opponents to the measure say the cyber schools lack accountability and oversight, opens the door to "for-profits" to take Michigan education money our of the state. Opponents also question the bill's funding method.
The fight over SB 619 has been heated and is getting hotter as it appears a vote is nearer.
"Online instruction will only become a more important component of education in the future. Who knows, it may even become the primary means of learning," the editorial board of the Holland Sentinel wrote. "For now though, there just isn’t enough experience to go on to justify unlimited expansion of cyber schools with taxpayer dollars."
Proponents of SB 610 see it differently.
"This is a case of the education establishment in this state not wanting parents to have choices,” Education Committee chairman Thomas McMillin told MLive.com. “They want to be in control.”
North Carolina
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:58:00 +0000
The Cabarrus County Board of Education voted to give preliminary approval to a partnership with K12 Inc. to create North Carolina's first virtual charter school.
The school, the North Carolina Virtual Charter Academy, will be open to all North Carolina middle-school and high-school students. State education money would follow the students to the virtual charter school. In its application, the school district estimates it will take in $18 million worth of public funding within a few years.
According to Concord Independent Tribune, John Chisholm, vice president of school development for K12, Inc., told Cabarrus board members the virtual charter school would be staffed with North Carolina-certified teachers, and students would have online and hard copy school materials.
The Independent Tribune also reported that Chisholm also told the board that the charter for this new school would be submitted by North Carolina Learns, Inc., a proposed nonprofit group. The plan for the virtual charter school is allowed because of a new North Carolina law that eliminated the cap on charter schools. He said that going to a school district to partner with is one way for a charter school to receive initial approval.
The next step in the process is for the county's application to be sent to the North Carolina state Board of Education for approval.
For the last three months, debate has been intense over whether Cabarrus County should support a virtual charter school based in its school district.
Proponents included North Carolina State Sen. Fletcher Hartsell who told Cabarrus school board members the virtual charter academy an idea whose time has come with little risk and tremendous reward for the school system.
Opponents expressed wariness of allowing a for-profit company manage the virtual school. According the the blog "North Carolina Progressive Pulse," the Cabarrus school board's decision is a "move that would allow taxpayer money to flow to the questionable education company without significant oversight or public input."
In an editorial published by the South County Independent, editors said, "We suspect, however, that an all-electronic school would merely fragment students’ attention spans even further and lead us away from the intellectual rigor our schools desperately need."
Even with the school board's vote, it is not certain that the state board will give the virtual school final approval.
Cabarrus school district attorney Mark Henriques, who told local school board member members that he had spoken to Laura Crumpler, assistant attorney general at North Carolina Department of Justice who handles education issues, and Katie Cornetto, staff attorney for the State Board of Education. Crumpler and Cornetto said the state is still working on new guidelines and felt it would be unlikely that this or any other virtual charter school would get approved at the state level before those guidelines are developed, Henriques said.
North Carolina is already home to one of the largest virtual school populations in the United States. It is second only to Florida. Course enrollments in the state-lead North Carolina Virtual Public school is ) topped 70,000 at the end of 2010.
West Virginia
Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:45:00 +0000
The West Virginia Senate Education Committee approved a bill that moves the state closer to creating an online learning environment for all K-12 public school students.
The next stop for Senate Bill 103 will be the West Virginia Senate Finance Committee.
This is the second consecutive year that the West Virginia legislature has tackled digital learning issues. In 2011, West Virginia become one of the first states in the nation to pass legislation to implement all Digital Learning Now's "10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning."
Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, along with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, co-chair Digital Learning Now, a group that works to promote policies that create K-12 digital learning environments.
A few weeks after the legislature's 2011 move, the West Virginia Board of Education adopted a policy directing that the digital learning elements be incorporated through alignment with state code, policy changes, strategic plans, guidelines and procedures.
SB 103 puts some teeth into the 2011 legislation. For example, it directs the state education board to "ensure that Internet access is available for learning for public school teachers and students."
It also instructs the state education board to make sure "all public school students and teachers have Internet access devices for learning."
The new measure also tackles accountability issues by directing the state education board to "hold digital learning providers, facilitators and students accountable for achievement and growth." The measure also calls for funding that "creates incentives for performance, options and innovation."
West Virginia has a state-led virtual school. It is called the West Virginia Virtual School (WVVS). It was launched in 2000 and serves students in grades 6-12
West Virginia, however, does not have a virtual charter school that offers courses to students throughout the state.
The West Virgina Education Association has not take a stand on SB 103, however, according to its website, part of its legislative agenda supports requiring "technology education to be made available to all middle and high school students."
Virginia
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:23:00 +0000
Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to implement an expansive education reform agenda for the 2012 legislative session, part of which centers on creating an "opportunity to learn agenda" through expanded charter and virtual school opportunities.
Among the initiatives are proposals to make it easier for charters to form and operate in the state, ensuring local school boards make unused buildings available to charter schools, clarifying the funding formula so that funding "follows the child," and allowing additional accreditation options for virtual schools.
McDonnell also wants to establish an "Innovative Options Technical Advisory Committee" that would help guide potential applicants that are planning for charter schools, college partnership laboratory schools and virtual school programs.
If McDonnell's plans become law, it would be the second major step to create a nurturing atmosphere for the expansion of virtual education opportunities in the state. In 2011, two counties and 11 private companies were approved as official providers of online programs for Virginia students.
Proponents of McDonnell's model in which state education funding "follows the child," welcomed his proposal.
"The current educational funding model in Virginia isn't designed for students that can reside in one county but be educated in a school hundreds of miles away. The current structure assumes that a student living in one school division is educated in that district. In short, education funding tends to stop at each school division’s border – and that’s not a good system for educating 'students without borders,' " according the Virginia-based Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.
Opponents say the having state education money "follow the child" could create "an opportunity for the for-profit providers to game the system."
According to Fredericksburg.com, Virginia Education Association lobbyist Rob Jones wrote late last year that state funding that "follows the child' equates to a "perverse incentive for Virtual School vendors, like K-12 Inc., to locate virtual schools in poor school divisions to maximize state funding and corporate profits."
Washington
Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:38:00 +0000
If this week's gathering is a signal, the push to fully fund and continue expanding online learning opportunities in Washington is about to start.
Gov. Bob Wise, co-chairman of Digital Learning Now, will speak at the Washington Online Learning Symposium. He and other digital learning advocates will try to persuade lawmakers that now is the time to move forward on digital learning initiatives.
This is a challenge, Diana Moore of the Freedom Foundation's iLearn Project said, because in Washington, the state of, "Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, Dave Matthews,(and) Rain Wilson, online learning has been fighting for its life."
Last year, the Washington legislature approve a two-year budget that included a 15% cut in Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) programs, which include many of the state's virtual education programs.
"If legislators really understood digital learning, they would have realized their decision would hurt kids—and not save money," Moore wrote.
What's more, a 2009 law created a "multi-district online provider approval process.' According to the law, "beginning with the 2011–12 school year, school districts may claim state basic education funding," if it meets certain criteria. However, the law adds "if a provider is not approved, starting in the 2011–12 school year, their ability to operate in the state of Washington could be severely constrained."
In other words, there may be a rush of non-profit and for-profit digital learning firms trying to get approval before July 1.
Washington state critics of expanding edtech-center education reform say online learning is just another way to "privatize" public education. On a post on the Seattle Education blog entitled, "What to expect in January from the corporate privatizers in the state of Washington," stated "What these folks want to do in our state is take over the tax dollars that are used to fund education and make a profit off of our children with ideas and programs that are untested at best or have proven to be detrimental to our children at the very worst."
The online symposium Wise is scheduled to appear before is similar in many ways to the 2011 national summit on digital learning held in Ohio. That summit, sponsored by Knowledgeworks, Ohio Smart Schools, Digital Learning Now and Ohio Education Matters, was held just as Ohio Smart Schools, a collaborative, nonpartisan initiative of Ohio Education Matters dedicated to finding new ways for Ohio’s schools to work more effectively and efficiently, was launched.
The symposium in Washington may ignite a legislative and grassroots push for online learning opportunities.
"For legislators to enact good policies, they need all the facts," Moore continued. "That’s why this year the iLearn Project is partnering with groups like Digital Learning Now and Getting Smart to give Washington’s policymakers a vision for the importance and potential of online learning and the tools to make it a priority."
Michigan
Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:04:00 +0000
It looks as if a decision on lifting the cap on cyber schools in Michigan will happen sometime in 2012.
Some thought that SB 619 would be approved and signed into law by the end of 2011. That's what happened with it's companion bill, SB 618, which lifted the cap on the number of charter schools.
But as the old year moved to a close, SB 619, was stalled in the the Michigan House education committee and isn't expected to be voted on until the new year.
The measure has already been approved by the Michigan Senate.
Currently, there are two cyber schools in Michigan with an enrollment of 400 students each. Should the bill pass, the cap on the number of schools would be lifted, and the 400 student per school enrollment cap would be increased to 1,000.
Other provisions in the bill include:
--Eliminating the requirement that cyber school students previously have been enrolled in a public school.
--Requiring cyber school operators to demonstrate experience delivering a program that improves student academic achievement. Currently, the state requires the applicant demonstrate experience in serving urban and at-risk student populations through an educational model involving a significant cyber component.
Proponents of SB 619 say the bill believe it offers more options to students, as well as ties in strong use of technology.
State Representative Tom McMillin, who chairs the House Education Committee, told Michigan Public Radio that he and many other lawmakers are impressed with the ability of cyber schools to help kids who struggle in traditional public schools, or drop out.
"It has blown us away, I mean it’s extremely impressive. I think it’s going to be, once people see what it’s producing, what the results are, they get all excited about it,” McMillan said.
Opponents to the measure say the cyber schools lack accountability and oversight and question the funding method.
A post on "Blogging for Michigan" stated that, "The Michigan Virtual Charter Academy that made a presentation at the Dec. 6 House committee meeting failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) during their one year of operation, and that was not brought out. Apparently, the school only tested less than 80 percent of their students instead of the required 95 percent. That requirement is in place so a school cannot cherry pick and only have their best students take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program test (MEAP)."
"This bill, along with Senate Bill 618 that lifts the cap on charter schools, is just a thinly disguised attempt to privatize public education and bust teacher unions," the post continued.
Michigan Republicans leaders in the GOP-dominated legislature say they want to allow more K-12 cyber schools. GOP Gov. Rick Scott says he will sign any bill lifting the cap into law. But everything is on hold until the new year.
California
Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:22:00 +0000
A coalition of California school districts, county offices of education and statewide education associations are taking a new tact when it comes to the battle over expansion of K-12 online learning.
This could be one of the first volleys in a change of strategy that is starting to gain adherents among teachers unions and in other parts of the education establishment.
These groups no longer want to be seen as just saying no to digital learning initiatives. Instead, they are starting to develop their own criteria for implementation of digital learning and creation of virtual charter and virtual schools. In some cases, the education establishment's methods are seen as delaying tactics.
In California, an organization that calls itself the "K-12 Education Management Group" has issued a set of seven principles it says are needed for a statewide digital learning policy can be put into place.
"The Department of Education, Department of Finance and key legislative staffers are skeptical that if the kid's not in a room with a teacher, they're not sure what level of learning is actually going on. We're working on language … to reach some kind of harmony in the issue," Jeff Frost, a lobbyist for several education organizations and school districts involved in K-12 Education Management Group, told Joanna Lin of California Watch.
That language, Frost said, will support the notion that Average Daily Attendance (ADA) can be calculated based on student work.
"Whether they're in the virtual school's learning center or whether they're at home with their mom looking over their shoulder or whether they're in the public library – if they're there working, that's the same as a kid who showed up in school," he added.
Among the principles listed in the group's "Statement of Principles" are "online learning must be held to the same standards as traditional classroom-based education;" "a funding mechanism that is appropriate for online learning should be adopted and equal access must be provided for all of California's six million students;" and "school districts should have flexibility in how online programs are implemented."
Michigan
Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:24:00 +0000
This week, Michigan legislators my take the long-awaited steps to lifting caps on the number of cyber schools in the state.
SB 619, the cyber school bill, is part of an education reform package making its way through the Michigan legislature. A bill that would lift the cap on creation of charter schools was approved by the Michigan House the week of Nov. 28.
The charter school and the cyber school measures are parent of the "Parental Empowerment Package." Other measures include a bill that would would allow public schools to be converted to charter schools. That bill has been introduced in the Michigan Senate, but hasn't been brought to a full vote. Another bill that would change the criteria for state education aid for "instruction of nonpublic students by public schools" has been approved by the state Senate, but not by the House.
All the bills in the package must be approved in order for any of the measures to become law.
There are currently two cyber schools in Michigan serving approximately 400 students.
Proponents of SB 619 say more cyber schools will provide more choices to Michigan parents looking for the best educational opportunities for their children.
"Cyber schools are another option we have in reforming our education system in Michigan so that we are meeting the varied needs of all of our students,” said State. Sen. Patrick Colbeck, a sponsor of the bill. “These schools provide a free, public education to students that can be tailored to address each child’s strengths and weaknesses while providing increased one-on-one communication with a teacher.”
Opponents want to wait for more information on the effectiveness of the state's two cyber schools. At an earlier hearing on the measure, State Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood wondered why there wasn’t even a baseline report for legislators to key on before a vote is taken on SB 619.
“In fact, we are not even looking at the reports that we demand for these cyber schools at their outset," Hopgood said. "The reason we know that we haven’t looked at these reports is because they are not due yet, and they are not available. Why aren’t we using the best information that we can? Why aren’t we being more transparent? Why aren’t we making sure that there are proper and thorough audits done so we know where the money is going?”
New Jersey
Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:15:00 +0000
Will New Jersey get a virtual charter school in 2012?
Teaneck school officials say that unless the state's "antiquated" school laws are changed--laws that do not addressed how virtual schools are funded--a K-12 virtual charter school that would be open to students from throughout the state should not be allowed to open in its district.
On the other side, officials of the Garden State Virtual Charter School said they would delay opening if the state charter school law isn't changed to clarify how virtual charter schools are funded.
At the center of the dispute is a New Jersey Education Department letter sent to Teaneck school officials that stated it could be responsible for about $15.4 million in order to fund the virtual charter school.
Teaneck school officials countered that setting aside such a large amount of money could lead to massive layoffs and cuts to traditional school programs.
After the district's response, New Jersey state education officials clarified their position. They stated that the Teaneck district would not be expected to pay for all the students enrolled at the charter school, only the ones from Teaneck.
In New Jersey, charter schools receive taxpayer dollars for each student equal to 90% of per-pupil funding in the district where the student resides.
The Garden State Virtual Charter School wants to open next fall with 1,000 students from throughout New Jersey, with enrollment increasing to 3,500 students by its fourth year in operation.
Charter school co-founder, Jason Flynn, the parent of a Teaneck public school student, vowed that the program won’t launch unless the state addresses funding for virtual charter schools. He told NewJersey.com that he agrees that the Teaneck school district should not be burdened with funding all of the virtual charter school’s students.
“We would only proceed if the funding follows the backpack,” he said. “We’re not here to hurt any students.”
At a recent Teaneck school board meeting, opponents of the charter school said the district is witnessing the "fiscal starvation of the public school system in New Jersey, and ... (the) erosion of local control.”
According to NewJersey.com, some people attending the board meeting suggested it was time to “Occupy Trenton” and make sure the law is changed.
Charter school co-founder Flynn told NewJersey.com his school and virtual charter school proponents plans to hold a public forum in December month to answer questions dispel myths and rumors about the school.
The state will decide in January whether to approve Garden State’s application.
Virginia
Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:49:00 +0000
A report issued by Virginia's Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy is causing a dust up in the state.
The report, "Students Without Borders: Funding Online Education in Virginia," calls for a total restructuring of the state's K-12 funding practices.
"The current educational funding model in Virginia isn't designed for students that can reside in one county but be educated in a school hundreds of miles away. The current structure assumes that a student living in one school division is educated in that district. In short, education funding tends to stop at each school division’s border – and that’s not a good system for educating 'students without borders,' " according the report issued by the nonpartisan research group.
In 2010, Virginia established a plan for funding of full-time, multi-district virtual schools. But in 2011, a Virginia senate budget amendment attempted to revise the funding formula, reducing available state funding for educating a student to as little as $2,000, based on the student’s residence.
Virginia Education Association lobbyist Rob Jones told Fredericksburg.com that the situation created "an opportunity for the for-profit providers to game the system."
According to Fredericksburg.com, Jones wrote that this equates to a "perverse incentive for Virtual School vendors, like K-12 Inc., to locate Virtual Schools in poor school divisions to maximize state funding and corporate profits."
The Jefferson Institute report agreed. "The amendment would have set up dramatic inequities. Rural school divisions would find it difficult to compete because they would not get enough funding from students in wealthier school divisions. Meanwhile, stronger, better-funded areas like Fairfax County would be favored and ultimately would dominate the state’s online programs," the report stated.
The budget amendment was successfully vetoed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, but the Jefferson Institute researchers believe that a similar amendment may be introduced in the future.
Instead, the researchers suggest "changing the paradigm for virtual school students."
Virtual school students should be treated as " 'students without borders” rather than students
from a particular school division. Funding virtual school students with dollars that equal the
average state-wide share . . . funding puts all school divisions on a level playing field and
eliminates picking “winners and losers” among school divisions," according to the report.
California
Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:07:00 +0000
After the Nov. 16 vote by the Santa Clara County School Board, it is safe to say that Rocketship Education is on a roll. A hard-fought roll, but certainly a roll.
The Santa Clara County board gave Rocketship Ed the go-ahead to launch five K-5 charter schools in San Jose. Rocketship, the much vaunted hybrid-learning charter school network, already has two K-5 schools in San Jose.
The board's approval, according to the San Jose Mercury News, may also signal an easier road for Rocketship when it goes before the board in December to get approval to open 20 more schools in the county that is the heart of Silicon Valley.
This has been a year of highs and lows for Rocketship's expansion plans. Earlier this month, Milwaukee's Common Council approved a plan for Rocketship to open a city-sponsored elementary school in the Wisconsin city in 2013.
Earlier in the year, Acting Washington, D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson indicated that she and others in the District would like to see Rocketship Ed launch at least eight schools in the Nation's Capital.
On the other side of the ledger, a Rocketship Ed charter school proposal was turned down by the school board that administers schools in East Palo Alto, a low-income, heavily minority community minutes away from Rocketship's Palo Alto headquarters.
Getting approval from the Santa Clara County trustees was no slam dunk. Several superintendents school districts in the county sent board members a 10-page letter that came close to threatening to sue the board if it approved Rocketship Ed's charter application.
"It’s peculiar that no such letter was written before or after we approved the original five Rocketship Countywide Charters in 2009. In fact, there was hardly a whimper from the traditional educational community about the SCCOE Board’s approval of five countywide Rocketships, board chair Jospeh DiSalvo wrote on his blog.
The Mercury News Editorial Board also found the change in attitude by the superintendents, and county staff, peculiar.
"Nothing has changed since the board authorized these charters two years ago, and it reauthorized a nearly identical charter just months ago. This should be an easy decision to benefit struggling students," the editorial stated.
Wisconsin
Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:45:00 +0000
Now, Wisconsin parents who want to enroll their kids in virtual charter schools can breathe a sigh of relief.
OK, they can exhale if Gov. Scott Walker signs SB 2 into law, and it is very likely that he will.
For years, virtual education proponents complained about Wisconsin's 5,250 cap on enrollment in virtual schools. According to Julie Thompson of the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families, the number of students seeking virtual education opportunities was far greater than the number of slots available.
Waiting lists were long, she added, and the time period to get obtain any opening was short. In 2009, for example, 1,756 students were placed on a waiting list, but 253 spots were offered within the last nine days of school open enrollment, according to the parents' group. Thompson says families had little time to act.
Well, the parents are halfway to getting their wish.
In June, Gov. Walker signed legislation lifting the enrollment cap on virtual schools.
The other half of the wish will come true if and when SB 2 is signed into law. The bill expands Wisconsin's open enrollment period for the next school year to three full months in February, March and April.
"SB2 gives families more freedom to choose the best learning environment for their child," Melissa Horn, Wisconsin Virtual Learning Executive Director said. "With this bill, students will no longer have to wait to get the education they deserve, in the environment that works best for them."
The state's largest teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association, did not oppose expanding the enrollment period or dropping the enrollment cap – as long as the state looks at quality issues for those schools, and re-visits the funding of virtual schools as part of the open enrollment program.
Michigan
Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:39:00 +0000
Hours after the Michigan Senate approved a bill that would end caps on the number of virtual charter schools and lift restrictions on enrollment in the cyber charters, opponents of the measure launched a full-court press aimed at stopping the legislation.
The Michigan Education Association (MEA) asked its members to urge their legislators to vote no on SB 619, the measure that would lift the restrictions. The Michigan Association of School Administrators, issued a statement that the proposal does not offer any guarantee of school quality. Superintendents of local school districts took to the hustings campaigning against the measure.
"I think more research has to be done to find out just how effective [online charter schools] are instead of just suddenly passing legislation -- at least at the Senate side -- in order to require unlimited access to this," Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Mike Shibler told WOOD-TV.
"Students certainly can benefit from cyber education or learning online, whether it be credit recovery or whether it be courses that are difficult to get otherwise from their local high school," the Rockford superintendent said. "But they also, I think, can benefit ... from actual 1-on-30, 1-on-25" relationships with teachers.
Opponents, including the MEA, contend that the cyber charters would be run by "private companies and would use public taxpayer dollars for funding. While this may be the legislature’s answer to 'education reform,' a report by University of Colorado education professors Gene V. Glass and Kevin G. Weiner criticizes the move because there is no high-quality evidence of their effectiveness," according to the MEA.
Oakland Schools Superintendent Vickie L. Markavitch encouraged parents to lobby their legislators not to support the sweeping reforms in a podcast posted on the Oakland Schools website earlier this month.
In the 12-minute video, Markavitch warned of unintended consequences that can’t be foreseen without proper research.
“Reform means change, and although no one ever intends to make things worse, the wrong reform and the wrong change can do just that,” she said. “There’s little evidence that those proposing reforms have even studied the research.”
But State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, a proponent of SB 619, said demand is driving the need to expand cyber charter school options. He said the two existing year-old cyber charter schools—where students in grades K-12 take all of their coursework online—have thousands of students on their waiting lists.
"I think it's going to be a game-changer for Michigan and our kids," said State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, who sponsored the cyber charter bill.
State Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood spoke for many of the opponents when he said the legislature is moving too fast. He said the current restrictions were put in place with the intent that they be lifted if, after two years, the schools demonstrated success. The schools opened in 2010, meaning the two-year mark won't be reached until this summer.
"It's really disappointing that we're just going to blow the caps off these schools when we don't have all the information on them," Hopgood said.
The cyber charter measure is part of an education reform package that would provide expanded opportunities for private school students to take public school classes; for public schools to provide programs for private schools, and for public and private students to enroll in both high school and community college at the same time.
The bills, part of a nine-bill package, now moves on to the House for consideration.
Virginia
Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:12:00 +0000
The Virginia Association of School Superintendents have a plan for reformulating the state's goals for K-12 education and virtual education plays a significant role in the outline.
The plan, approved by the state's 133 superintendents, wants to see students become prepared for college and other post secondary education, and for careers.
The No.1 objective in the "Instructional Delivery" section of the plan is to online learning courses available to all Virginia students. To do this, according to the report, Virginia needs to "provide funding to support virtual programs in the form of materials, hardware, software, space, and personnel to school divisions in order that all schools, regardless of size, can offer instructional alternatives to students."
The plan also wants the state to take a new look at seat-time requirements.
A proponent of the plan, Gloucester County Superintendent Howard B. "Ben" Kiser said the evolution of technology and virtual learning caused the superintendents to rethink time in education, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.
"We know through virtual curriculum … students do not have to sit in a class for 140 hours (and) 180 school days," he told the Times Dispatch.
The Virginia Education Association did not immediately take a position on the plan. Earlier this month, the teachers union urged Gov. Bob McDOnnell to make K-12 education a funding priority.
Michigan
Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:37:00 +0000
Three members of the Michigan Board of Education asked lawmakers to vote against proposals that would lift caps on the number of virtual charter schools in the state.
The three members – Marianne McGuire, Kathleen Straus, and Casandra Ulbrich – took an unusual step of issuing a statement after opposing a proposed open letter about the reforms at the October state school board meeting. The trio also said they were also against creating a "parent trigger" that would allow conversion of public schools into charters.
This is the latest volley in a pitched battle over education reform.
Earlier this month, the Michigan state senate approved a measure that allows the expansion of charter and cyber charter schools.The bill removes a cap on the number of schools authorized by state universities and also makes it easier for successful out-of-state charter school operators to supervise school in Michigan.
The bill has been sent to the Michigan House and is part of a seven-bill package that aims to increase choice for public school students and their parents.
Proponents say Michigan parents need choices so children can escape failing schools and that greater choice greater will foster more competition which will forces all schools to improve.
Opponents, ranging from the Michigan Education Association to legislative Democrats, argue the measures help charter schools while stripping traditional public schools of necessary funding.
"All we're doing is subsidizing these for-profit ventures and diverting scarce resources from our neighborhood, locally governed public schools," Democratic state Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood told the Associated Press.
The three board of education members said they wanted to retain the cap on cyber charters because there isn't enough data to show if these types of schools are effective.
Instead of the proposed reforms, the three board members said the way to improve Michigan's public schools included improving access to early childhood programs, reducing class sizes, and removing incentives to reduce the number of school days.
Tennessee
Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:39:00 +0000
When the Tennessee legislature approved the Public Virtual School Act earlier this year, and when Gov. Bill Haslam signed it into law, did these lawmakers put the cart before the horse?
That's what the state board of education will try to determine later this month when it meets to establish rules and guidelines for virtual schools.
That's right, Tennessee has a new virtual school law that went into effect on July 1. It even has a new K-8 virtual school, the Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) that opened its doors this fall. But the state doesn't have any rules or guidelines that governing the operation of virtual schools.
That may all change in the next few weeks, and there will be a fight over the rules.
Proponents of the Public Virtual School Act say the new law will help move Tennessee to the forefront of the education reform movement. They add that bumps are to be expected with the introduction of anything new.
Bumps there were when TNVA opened its doors this fall. There were enrollment glitches, problems getting students the hardware and software they needed for classes, and a lot of bruised feelings when traditional school districts lost students to the tiny Union County Public Schools, which contracted with K12 Inc. for online school services.
"We believe the Tennessee Virtual Academy will be an excellent choice for children who need personalized learning programs," said Wayne Goforth, director of schools for Union County Public Schools. "Our school district is focused on providing the best education we can to all of our students. This online school is another opportunity for us to be innovative and responsive to the education needs of every child."
Opponents aren't so sure. Critics say K12 Inc., through lobbyists, pushed a virtual-school bill through to passage in the closing minutes of the state legislature. They say money precious school funding is flowing out of Tennessee and into Virginia, where K12 Inc. is based.
"I don’t think the state is looking out for the child’s best interest," Dickson County school board member Steve Haley said. "I think they are looking at private companies’ interest." Dickson lost 24 students to TNVA. Since the Public Virtual School Act allows state funds to follow students, Dickson County schools lost nearly $81,000 – or roughly $4,300 per student – to K12 and Union County.
According to the Nashville Tennessean, Gov. Haslam, said recently that he's just now learning its full impact.
"I'm growing increasingly familiar with it. It's something I want to understand the ramifications a lot better. I understand how (virtual education) could be very beneficial; you could offer subjects that aren't offered other places. But I do think we have to think through the consequences a little bit more than we've done so far."
That's what the Tennessee Board of Education will try to do in October.
Michigan
Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:56:00 +0000
A Michigan GOP Education Reform plan that includes expansion of online learning opportunities, is attracting a lot of attention.
StudentsFirst, the lobbying group headed by former Washington, D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee, has given nearly $1 million to the effort that would change teacher tenure in the state and mandate a school choice program.
Opponents of the plan, such as the Michigan Education Association plans to spend more than $300,000 against the reform package. This is 11% more than the organization spent in 2010. Most of the money, according to the MEA website, will go for radio and TV ads.
"Many of the concepts introduced in these bills were first mentioned by Gov. Snyder in his education message this spring. But it's apparent that the attacks on public education continue. None of these bills are meant to improve education. This is more of the same push to destroy public education: schools run by private entities, back-door vouchers, policies based on rhetoric rather than research, and more state mandates -- despite the Republican cut of $1 billion from public schools earlier this year," according to an MEA statement.
Proponents of the reform plan say that changes such as eliminating caps on the number of charter and online schools is long overdue.
"The Parent Empowerment Education Reform package is about freeing parents to pursue the opportunities that work best for their children and giving schools the freedom they need to innovate and excel," State Sen. Phil Pavlov, chair of the Senate Education Committee wrote on his website.
Florida
Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:57:00 +0000
The Florida Board of Education is meeting this week and it has the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) on its mind.
At these meetings, the board plans to set its priorities for the upcoming year. On the agenda is a plan give FLVS, the nation's largest state-led virtual school, the " authority and responsibility of a school district. FLVS students would be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities in traditional school districts.
Other board ideas for FLVS include:
- Authorizes the State Board of Education (SBE)to oversee the performance of Florida Virtual School board of trustees in enforcement of all laws and rules.
- Authorizes SBE to offer an alternative readiness screening for kindergarten students enrolled in a full time virtual education program.
- Requires Florida Virtual School to fulfill obligations of exceptional education students.
- Clarifies districts eligible for the sparsity supplement before the wealth adjustment calculation will only be required to provide one virtual option.
Idaho
Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:13:00 +0000
At long last, there is clarity about Idaho's plans to require students to take online classes as a high school graduation requirement.
Well, at least there is clarity for the moment.
Last week, the Idaho Board of Education voted to require that beginning with the class of 2016, students must take at least two online classes in order to graduate from high school. One of those classes must be taken virtually, without a classroom teacher present. Of course, there can be a virtual teach supervising instruction.
The board voted 8-0 to approve the plan.
The legislation that was approved and signed into law instead directed the state Board of Education to draft standards governing the online course requirements. The board directed a subcommittee to decide how trustees would proceed in April and that panel mostly discussed making one or two online credits a requirement to graduate high school.
Most of the opposition was directed at the education changes as a whole not just the online requirements, board spokesman Mark Browning said.
For example, Scott Rogers, superintendent of the Minidoka County School District, said there are a lot of unanswered questions about the state’s proposal.
“Schools have been ramping up for these changes,” Rogers told the Magic Valley Times-News. “We have yet to see all the details.”
Melissa McGrath, spokeswoman for the Idaho State Department of Education, said online class initiatives should be cost-neutral or generate savings for most school districts.
“It’s just changing the learning environment,” she said. “A teacher will be somewhere else.”
It will be up to each school district to set up a format to offer online classes.
If districts contract with a private vendor, districts will receive all the state funding and then pay the vendor. Districts could also choose to allow students to take classes through the state-sponsored Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
Idaho schools chief Luna, who sits on the board, lauded trustees for their work on the rule.
Speaking for proponents of the online requirements, Luna told LocalNews8.com: "I think that this proposal before us goes a long ways toward our responsibility as a board and as a state to assure that our students have the ability and the necessary skills that they will need when they graduate from high school."
The board will now hold a 21-day comment period on the rule, though board spokesman Browning said trustees are unlikely to reverse their decision. The rule will go before state lawmakers during the 2012 session, which starts in January.
That said, many school districts are already moving in the direction of expanding online class opportunities.
“We recognize that students in today’s world need to be able to navigate the online realm for education,” Minidoka County School Superintendent Rogers said.
Idaho
Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:34:00 +0000
Decision Day may well be Sept. 10.That's the day the Idaho Board of Education is scheduled to vote on a proposal that would require students to take at least two online courses in order to graduate from high school.
Getting to this point hasn't been easy.
After one of the nation's bitterest fights over technology-centered education reforms, the Idaho legislature approved a package of laws called "Students Come First."
One of the proposals Idaho Superintendent of Instruction Tom Luna believed to be central to the reform package was to require students to take at least four online classes in order to graduate from high school. However, to get the package approved by the legislature, that part of the reform plan had to be removed.
in order to get legislative approval for the After Otter signed all three measures a new fight broke out. Luna announced he would go around the state legislature and ask the Idaho Board of Education to approve the online class graduation requirements.
The Idaho Technology Task Force was created. Its 39 members crisscrossed the state this summer holding hearings on how technology should be used in the classroom. In August, a task force panel recommended that Idaho require two online classes become part of the state's high school graduation requirement. The proposal states that one of the two required online classes must be taught remotely, without a teacher present in the classroom.
Idaho teacher Sue Darden spoke for many of the plan's opponents at one of the summer hearings.
"What I'm opposed to is removing the teacher from the equation. What kind of instruction are they going to be getting? What kind of interaction are they going to have?" asked Darden, a 21-year teaching veteran who works in the Meridian School District.
Idaho Education Association President Penni Cyr, added that the organization doesn't want the proposal to require one of the online courses to be “asynchronous,” which means the teacher would not be in the classroom with the student, although a proctor or other employee without a teaching certificate might be.
“What is the plan for assuring that students who need additional help have timely access to a certified teacher with content expertise?” Cyr asked.
Proponents say that the new state education reform laws mandate that there be some kind of online course required for graduation.
Doing nothing is not an option. Additionally, online courses will better prepare Idaho students for college and careers, where online learning is already commonplace.
"Virtual education offers limitless options for kids," says parent Rebecca Bohman, whose children take online course from home through Bonneville School District 93's Virtual Academy.
Adds District 93 representative Guy Bliesner says online learning offers the same, if not better, education than traditional classrooms.
"Our teachers are available here, they can do tutoring sessions and if you have a child struggling with the online approach, you can meet with them and address the problem," says Bliesner.
In addition to the online course requirements, Idaho is introducing teacher merit pay and shifting money from salaries toward classroom technology, phasing in laptops for teachers and students.
The changes were so controversial that opponents launched a successful referendum campaign earlier this year to repeal them. The referendum will go before Idaho voters in November 2012.
As soon as the Sept. 10 vote is final, Liberating Learning will broadcast the results and post an in-depth story in Battleground.
Pennsylvania
Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:20:00 +0000
And so it begins again. Debate over cyber charter and traditional charter schools in Pennsylvania has returned to the spotlight.
Returning to center stage are two bills, SB 904 and HB 1348. The companion bills would streamline legal procedures to launch a charter school, lift all enrollment caps and creates an appeal procedure if a local school board rejects a viable charter school application.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner called for a moratorium on the creation of new cyber charter and charter schools until a new funding system can be put into place.
School districts in Pennsylvania agreed with Wagner. Pennsylvania has 159 charter schools and 13 cyber charter schools with more than
90,000 students enrolled. They receive funding from local public school districts. The districts say current funding system, which for cyber charter students, called for them to send district-generate funds as well as state money to online course providers. This is one reason this year school districts from the Poconos to State College, Penn., have launched their own virtual schools. These districts want to keep their students, and the money, in the local district.
Opponents of the measures say the bills will reduce accountability for charter schools.
In a blog post, The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, a legal advocacy group, said it "believes that important reforms are needed for Pennsylvania’s system of charter and cyber charter schools. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 904 and similar legislation introduced in
the House of Representatives do not include the reforms truly needed to strengthen the charter school system. Instead, these bills include changes that would greatly expand the number and size of charter schools, would replace the role of local school districts in
approving and monitoring charter schools with a new state agency in Harrisburg, and would water down the accountability system for charter schools. This is the wrong approach," according to the law center.
After he testified before a legislative committee, the executive director of the Pennsylvania School Board Association made a video in which he remained non-committal about the legislation, but added he wished it contained funding reform.
Proponents, however, see the legislation as long over due and very much needed.
"It is clear to me that we are at a pivotal time in Pennsylvania’s education reform movement. The early success of charter schools can either be a firm foundation upon which a new child centered system of public education will be built, or another attempt at reform that
was bastardized and destroyed by our inability to break away from the status quo," Lawrence Jones, president of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools, told a Pennsylvania education legislative committee.
Michigan
Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:11:00 +0000
New rules issued by the Michigan Department of Education will expand online learning opportunities for students throughout the state.
Everyone isn't happy.
Before the new regulations were issued, Michigan law limited students to two online classes a semester. School district and virtual charter school that allowed students to take more than two online classes operated under special waivers from the Michigan Department
of Education.
The new rules, issued in July, make it easier for school districts to get waivers to the state law. This means, for example, the state's 57 middle school districts can create virtual charter schools for up to 10% of students who reside in the district's boundaries. What's more, middle school students would be able to take all or most of their classes online. Prior to the rule change,
these student could only take two courses per semester.
The education department also issued new rules that streamline the process for approval of seat-time waivers.
The impact of the new rules was felt quickly. The Michigan Department of Education reported it has received a half-dozen applications from districts since the guidelines were issued last month. More applications are in the pipeline, state officials said.
The new guidelines are in response to Gov. Rick Snyder's push for the Legislature to remove rules that cap some online enrollment.
Although the MDE has the power to give districts flexibility, the Legislature would need to act to completely remove restrictions. "We
agree with the governor that this is a good thing for students," Barbara Fardell, a manager in the state Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation, told the Detroit News.
Proponents of the new rules allowing for the expansion of online learning opportunities are heartened by the moves of the education department.
"We want educators to have the flexibility to reach every student as we reinvent our education system that will allow students to learn any time, any place, any way, and at any pace," said State Superintendent of Schools Mike Flanagan.
Michael Van Beek, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, added that it is time that Michigan should be like other states that have more open access to online education.
Opponents of the rule change urged state education officials move slower and add safeguards to any growth of online learning.
The Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teacher's union, provided guidance to its members on virtual education issues.
In a 2009, union-endorsed report called "The Realities of K-12 Virtual Education," the authors wrote, " the rapid growth of this new form of schooling raises questions of cost, funding, and variable quality that require the immediate attention of policymakers."
The report recommends that before policy changes that allow for more online learning options, policy makers:
-- Adopt new regulations governing the provision of online K-12 schooling.
-- Call for audits of providers of virtual education.
-- Recognize legitimate accrediting agencies.
-- Require credible assessment and evaluation.
Oklahoma
Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:06:00 +0000
Here's hoping a recent Oklahoma state Education Board decision ends the confusion that has caused confusion and stymied fall enrollment in virtual schools.
Antiquated transfer laws were being enforced in a way that stopped many parents from transferring their children out of traditional public schools and into virtual classes. On July 28, The state ed board revoked those regulations and instead instructed school districts to follow state law. Those regulations say that Open transfers cannot be denied for any reason if the receiving district accepts the student.
Another problem cropped up when the state ed board warned the state's first virtual charter, Epic One on One Charter School, to stop enrolling pre-kindergarten students in Oklahoma City and Norman and to halt enrolling pre-K through 5 students in Tulsa.
The reason: state law requires that a charter school be physically located in the district that grants the charter. Epic One is chartered through Graham Public Schools, near Ardmore.
In reviewing the solicitation posted on the Epic One on One website, the state board of ed told Epic One, "it is evident that the intention is to provide a physical location for students within a school for a full school day. Pursuant to the law, you must close the remote sites immediately."
David Chaney, Epic's founder, told The Oklahoman that the facilities are not schools - but are centers where students can access the curriculum on computers and Internet provided by Epic. However, descriptions of the three sites on Epic One's web page have been changed. There is also with a statement explaining the situation.
Chaney said about 1,200 students have enrolled in the virtual school so far, and about 100 of them have indicated they would prefer a physical location to attend.
"While we work to resolve this issue, we want to make everyone aware that this applies only to the students that were planning to physically attend our resource centers, which includes approximately 100 enrollments," Chaney wrote. "These developments do not affect our charter and will not prohibit Epic from starting in the fall.
"All of our students are virtual students," Chaney said. "It's no different from our other model. It's a self-paced model, and anytime the facility is open, parents can drop them off or pick them up, and
while they are there they will get to have access to their Internet and curriculum."
Epic One has battled to launch as a virtual charter school. Plans for the virtual charter school devolved into a fight in 2010 when Epic One found itself without a sponsor and with no access to state funding. A court ruling that the virtual charter should receive state money came too late for the school to open in the fall of 2010. In early 2011, the Okfuskee County School District said it would sponsor the virtual charter school. Calvert Education services said it would provide curriculum and supervision for the charter. With that, Epic One started working to open for statewide enrollment in the fall 2011.
