WELL-DONE
The CS Monitor does a nice job explaining what cyber-charters are and, more importantly, what they are not. The arguments the edu-crats present against them are so lame.
In the online learning world, however, K12 – which has partnered with districts in 12 states – is relatively controversial. Many educators are uncomfortable with the idea of a for-profit company receiving public funds. And despite the somewhat futuristic and avant-garde image of virtual schooling, some experts lament that curriculum like K12’s is anything but innovative.
One recent study funded by the Education Policy Studies Laboratory found that the K12 curriculum was frequently age-inappropriate, and was more focused on memorizing than developing concepts.
Do the teachers work for free? Until they declare themselves a 501(c)3, they’ve got no beef with for profit companies running schools, virtual or not. And, I’d rather have my children memorizing the multiplication table than telling me how they feel about numbers.
Do I think virtual charters are perfect? No. I don’t like how some former home educators have been misled into thinking that they were still homeschooling. Do I think there’s a place for them in the educational firmament? Sure.
For the Magnors, going with WIVA was a no-brainer, says Ms. Magnor.
The private school her children attended two years ago demanded too much help with fundraising. Last year, she tried homeschooling, but often felt lost and in need of guidance. The idea that she could enroll her kids at WIVA, get two computers, dozens of boxes of educational materials and books, and have an experienced teacher oversee everything – albeit from a distance – seemed too good to be true.
“I feel like I’m a partner with my teacher,” she says, as Bridget plays number bingo on a computer. “We work as a team, and she helps me figure out the learning style for each kid. This gives me structure. I wanted someone to tell me what to do.”
Magnor and her kids talk twice a month with their teacher, and go on regular field trips to museums or the symphony.
For this woman, homeschooling was too difficult. Yeah- after that first confusing year she might have made it. Or, she might have thrown in the towel and sent her kids back to the g-school. For her and her kids, the virtual charter seems to be the right option.
Do cyber charters “hurt” the homeschooling movement? I don’t know. Possibly in the short run some home educators will go over to the dark side and take government money. But, who’s to say that they won’t miss the freedom of homeschooling and bring a herd of folks back with them?
In the end, it comes down to trust in parents. Do we as a society trust them to make the best choices for their kids? As home educators, I would hope that the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
One Response to “WELL-DONE”
 Comment by J Aron May 5th, 2004 at 10:46 am |
The homeschooling people that these virtual schools are sucessfully marketed to (and who most likely think this setup is appealing) are “newbies” – these are usually the folks who can’t stand the way schools are – and have taken their kids out in the past year or two and then are pretty clueless as to what to do next. They have very little patience or perserverence, and are filled with self doubt. Either that or they are the ones who are so burned out by trying to replicate school at home that they just want someone else to take over. They have already been used to schools doing it all for them so they are easy prey. Add to that the coercive use of “free computers” and other “bennies” to seal the deal. I guess people can be bought, and can sell their freedom for material things. I personally don’t care what these folks choose – I am just in the struggle to make sure they don’t call it homeschooling. |