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Students learn in a new way

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

IRONWOOD — At All Saints Catholic Academy, some students are learning in a whole new way. The virtual classroom is a full or part time online school. A full variety of classes, personal tutors, and a flexible schedule… the virtual classroom has it all.

All Saints started the program almost two years ago for grades seven through twelve.

“A few students were coming just for one class at a time,” says Niki McRae, the Virtual Instructor at All Saints Catholic Academy. “If they were struggling with something, they came here and they were able to enroll in just a single class.”

Now the virtual classroom has five full time students. They use “Catholic Schools K-12 Virtual,” the only accredited Catholic virtual school.

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Two Bills, Two Standards

March 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

To be fair, unlike motorcycle riding, online charter schools are directly supported with taxpayer dollars, meaning lawmakers have a duty to ensure those tax dollars are spent well. That said, a proven system is already in place to make sure this happens. Like all other public charter schools, online charter schools are subject to dual public oversight — a local charter school board of public officials and a public university that acts as an authorizer and performance monitor.

The real reason for House inaction on SB 619 may be less seemly: Also unlike helmetless motorcycle riding, online charter schools are opposed by a powerful special interest — the conventional government school establishment and unions — who view the competition that these new, innovative schools pose as a threat to their lucrative monopoly. Taxpayers pour about $19 billion into Michigan’s public school system every year.

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Gobles proposing online academy for middle school, high school students

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Monday High School Principal Phil McAndrew and Director of Technology Dan Hubbell unveiled what has so far been dubbed the Gobles Virtual Academy. The academy would be an online middle school and high school.

It’s aimed at students that for one reason or another aren’t going to Gobles, including being home-schooled or being expelled. “There are students out there that we can help in an educational sense,” McAndrew said.

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Cyberschool bill poses question: Is expanding choice or improving academic achievement the greater priority for lawmakers?

March 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In cyberschooling, there is no physical school. There is no traditional classroom setting. Typically, students are provided a laptop and they do their work at home on their own, and their only link to their teacher and classmates is online.

Another important point to understand: Most cyberschools are charters that hire for-profit educational management organizations to deliver curriculum. And this can be a hugely profitable business, especially if the cyberschool is receiving the same level of funding as a traditional school.

Think about it: A cyberschool doesn’t have to pay for facilities, transportation, extracurricular activities or food service, among other things. They aren’t constrained by the same class-size issues, which means they can have fewer teachers. For think tanks such as the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Thomas Fordham Institute, one of the big attractions of virtual schools is their potential to lower education costs.

Some have suggested that the opposition to cyberschooling is coming mainly from traditional K-12 educators and their unions who are trying to protect their turf.

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Editorial Quick Hits: Pass cyber school bill

March 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A bill that would lift the cap on cyber charter schools in Michigan is getting a bit stale as it sits in the House. The Senate passed it last fall, and the House Education Committee approved the bill early last month. But a handful of Republican lawmakers are standing in the way of passing a bill that would provide more choices to families. Thousands of children are on waiting lists for the state’s two virtual charters, highlighting the demand for more of these schools. And cyber charters must be held to all the same standards as regular public schools. Lawmakers are being pressed by traditional public school leaders to oppose the legislation, but interestingly enough, some of these administrators offer similar online programs through their schools. As the Michigan Association of Public School Academies points out, this seems to be a clear double standard. Legislators should withstand the pressure and pass the bill.

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State Superintendent Mike Flanagan touts Holland Public Schools

March 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Flanagan said he was impressed with the foundation of the school that allows students to move at their own pace and take advantage of virtual learning opportunities.

“This allows them to reach incremental goals,” Flanagan said. “They’re going to be successful. We can see it right before our eyes.”

He even shared with the students a little about his own upbringing in New York and how he had to transition to living in the suburbs and didn’t fit in very well with the other students.

VR Tech Director Deb Feenstra was happy to see Flanagan spend time hearing about her students’ experiences and successes at the 173-student school.

“He talks a lot about virtual learning” Feenstra said. “You hear a whole lot about it, but I’m glad he got to come in and see who we are.”

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Brighton moves to launch online learning academy

March 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Brighton Area Schools district plans to launch a program providing online courses free of charge to homeschooled students.

District officials said it’s part of their ongoing effort to reach out to every student who lives in the area, specifically those who are learning outside the traditional classroom setting.

 

The academy would create some new revenue for the district. The district would receive a portion or all of the state per-pupil funding for students enrolled in the academy; the amount would depend on how many classes the student is taking. Each full-time student brings $7,300 to the district.

 

“We’re just looking at the needs of the community,” said Laura Surrey, assistant superintendent of curriculum. Surrey said the district wants to “meet all the needs of the learners in the area.”

 

Last week, the Brighton Area Schools Board of Education approved creating the Brighton Virtual Academy. The district plans to start it in September. The academy would offer Michigan Merit Curriculum online courses for grades 9-12. The academy would be operated by Michigan Virtual High School.

 

Each course would be taught by a certified teacher, and each student would have a mentor. Ken Hamman, a longtime Brighton principal who retired last year, is helping with the academy and will serve as a mentor to the first 25 students.

 

Surrey said some homeschooled parents decide to send their children to high school when the required curriculum becomes too challenging.

For the rest of the article, go to Brighton moves to launch online learning academy

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Brighton Schools Will Launch Virtual Academy This Fall

March 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Brighton Area Schools will launch its Virtual Academy starting this September.

Board of Education members voted unanimously to create the online learning program that will provide Michigan Merit Curriculum (MME) online courses to resident and non-resident home schooled students in grades 9 through 12 through the use of Michigan Virtual High School and GenNet.

Laura Surrey, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, said the program would aim to develop strong college and career readiness skills in the home schooled student population.

For the rest of the article, go to Brighton Schools Will Launch Virtual Academy This Fall

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Bradley Board of Education Approves Virtual School

March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Bradley County Board of Education has approved a Virtual School program that even home schoolers could use, said Director of Schools, Johnny McDaniel.

Board member Vicki Beaty asked how student achievement would be monitored and how school officials will use the data to improve the program. Mr. McDaniel said there will be certified teachers involved with a lot of written work and face to face time. He said he does not believe it will meet the needs of all students.

Zoe Renfro, Reach Adult High School principal, said, “We will pull staff to look at the data to determine where we are, where we fall short and what we need to add.”

Mr. McDaniel said he recommended approval of the program and establishment of a line item for funding for the 2012-2013 school year. It was unanimously approved.

Angie Lyon of the architectural firm Kaatz, Binkley, Jones and Morris gave an update on the construction at Michigan Avenue Elementary and the demolition bids for Waterville Elementary, both damaged in the April 2011 tornadoes. Ms. Lyon said bids for the bleachers and athletic equipment for Michigan Avenue were received and the job has been awarded to Southern Facility Sales and Service for $74,767.

For the rest of the article, go to Bradley Board of Education Approves Virtual School

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Termination of Schoolcraft High School principal reflects shifting priorities in K-12 education (Julie Mack blog)

March 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

SCHOOLCRAFT — By all accounts, John Kolassa was a dedicated, hard-working principal at Schoolcraft High School, well-liked by many of his staff and students.

He was known for keeping order in the hallways, his introduction of virtual education classes, his ubiquitous presence at high school events.

For the rest of the article, go to Termination of Schoolcraft High School principal reflects shifting priorities in K-12 education (Julie Mack blog)

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