Posted on 01/31/2012 11:26:31 AM PST by MichCapCon
The Michigan House Education Committee is considering lifting the enrollment cap on the number of families that can take advantage of publicly funded cyber charter public schools. No more than 2,000 students may enroll in these schools under current law.
Below is an interview with Brian Kevelin, a parent who sends his children to one of Michigan’s two cyber charter schools — Michigan Virtual Charter Academy.
Why did you seek out this alternative form of public schooling?
"It started out because of a safety issue that the public school did not correct. The child brought a knife to school and threatened a group of 1st graders, of which our son was a part of. The school just made him shadow the teacher for one week. Nothing else was done, so we found a place where our children's safety would never be an issue. We stumbled through various home-school curricula, and finally found the Idaho K-12 Virtual Charter school program. Once we experienced the organization and curriculum, and how teachers were so involved with the children, we never wanted anything else."
What are your thoughts about the enrollment caps?
"My thought on the cap is that the traditional public schools don't want to lose money. I'll never be convinced that there is any other reason. They'll blow smokescreens and throw virtual schooling under the bus, and say all sorts of untrue things about the program, but it's just used to take the focus off their desire for all the money."
Did you think other parents would take advantage of full-time online schools if they were able?
"There are over 5,000 students waiting to get into the virtual school setting, so yes. I truly believe that there would be even more parents that would take advantage, if given the opportunity."
What are some of the main advantages you’ve experienced through participating in MVCA?
"Advantages include testing and evaluations that place each child in the proper grade level, one-on-one assistance with the teacher, flexibility to get work done when the child is at their best, and then allow them to take a break if things are overwhelming. This type of schooling can be done anywhere and we had some health issues where we had to be out of state getting medical help and the children were able to do their schooling in the hotel room."
What are some of the challenges about this form of schooling?
"The parent and child must be driven to get the work done. This is not the place for lazy parents or children."
Would you recommend full-time online schooling to other parents?
"I would recommend MVCA schooling to most everyone. It's a tough curriculum, and it takes motivation on the parents’ part to keep the child focused and motivated to learn the material."
Do you feel like your children get enough socialization and personal contact from teachers, students and mentors?
"Our children are involved with various activities the friends and socialization has never been a concern. The 'socialization' they were getting in the traditional school setting is why we're involved with the MVCA today. Our children are years ahead of where I was socially, at the same age, having gone through the traditional school setting. Our children can talk and play with children their age as well as children younger and older then themselves."
What has been the response from your children to this form of schooling?
"We occasionally ask the kids if they'd like to go back to the traditional school setting, and without delay, they both refuse! In fact we threaten them that if they don't do well, that we'll force them back into that setting, and they assure us that they'll do their best, and that's all we can ask of them."
If you think the internet is safe for children... jeesh
Not even the Disney Channel is safe these days
My first exposure to anything remotely like this was my first visit to http://www.khanacademy.org/
After going there, I said, “I’ve seen the future of education, and it doesn’t involve brick and mortar schools.”
And the site above is nothing like a “real” curriculum, but anyone with an ounce of imagination understands what it can lead to. Imagine if, when you were in public school, you were able to stop your teacher, at will, in mid sentence and have them repeat exactly what they were saying or doing in front of the classroom a sentence ago, an hour ago, a day ago, a month ago. Click on any lesson at the above link and you’ll see what I mean.
There is one very important factor about virtual schooling that the article didn't mention; the ability for the student/parent team to work at many different grade levels depending on the interests/abilities of the student.
It is possible for the student/parent team to be working on a fourth grade subject, a sixth grade subject and a seventh grade subject during the same school day. All this while a student attending a traditional school is assigned to the fifth grade.
When I started out high school (10th grade) I tested out at freshman college in multiple subjects; but, my school system was age driven so I learned (relearned actually) material I had already studied a year or two before. My mother was a firm believer in reading as recreation and we wore out the old library cards are regular intervals.
My sister is trying to get on the waiting list. It seems there’s a waiting list for the waiting list due to the idiotic cap on the number of students who can be enrolled.
She liked the fact that the kids can learn real American history instead of the “modern history” the schools are teaching now. (Basically from the 1960s forward when the radical marxists saved America from conservative oppression)
Definitely not for lazy parents or students. (that’s a good thing)
We do it and we know others who uses the virtual schooling.
"It started out because of a safety issue that the public school did not correct. The child brought a knife to school and threatened a group of 1st graders, of which our son was a part of. The school just made him shadow the teacher for one week. Nothing else was done, so we found a place where our children's safety would never be an issue. We stumbled through various home-school curricula, and finally found the Idaho K-12 Virtual Charter school program. Once we experienced the organization and curriculum, and how teachers were so involved with the children, we never wanted anything else."
It is the school of the future... especially after seeing this...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2840605/posts
and who will run these vrtual schools?
It is in equal parts:
The money flow to public schools,
The power of the Teacher’s Unions,
The control over the indoctrination of our children, and the undermining of parental authority.
Who runs these virtual schools? What curriculum do they use?
My sister sees it as a means of facilitating home schooling.
Its not about putting the kid in front of the computer and walking away. Its a matter of sitting down with the kid and working together for a while and being nearby to keep the learning process moving along.
A superintendent in my county just left his position. He’s interested in doing something with virtual schools because he said it’s the wave of the future.
Ten years from now, brick and mortar schools will be turned into condiminiums just as they were in the 70’s when the school population lessend.
http://www.k12.com/ for one.
Public school at home.
No thanks
Okay.
My daughter just completed an online college course. Huge difference. She loved it. She could log in based on her daily schedule. The professor was one of the most highly regarded in the entire university. She could reply the lecture as many times as she wanted. Her papers were edited better than ever before with the editing program the professor used. I’m sold on online/distance learning. Best teachers, no commute, easy schedule, and the ability to really learn with the replay option. This will be the future.
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