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If education is such a hot topic, why do some Indiana lawmakers have such cold feet? For 10 years, Indiana legislators have been looking at virtual schools, but we have yet to jump in the pool with more than 30 other states to offer a full-time innovative option. Virtual schools nationwide have more than 1 million enrollments. This isn’t some new idea; it’s a proven system of learning for kids and families desperate for a public school that will meet their needs.
Virtual charter schools strengthen the promise of public education through the use of technology as a teaching tool, making accredited teaching, proven curriculum and flexible learning available to every student without constraints of time, place or learning speed.
Virtual charter schools are efficient and provide tax savings that could amount to millions of dollars a year. Also, virtual charter schools provide a higher percentage of dollars to the classroom. An efficient 84 percent goes toward instruction in virtual charter schools vs. Indiana traditional schools’ 65 percent. They do more with less yet have the same fiscal and academic accountability requirements.
Some kids need more than our traditional public schools offer. Sadly, many students fall through the cracks of a system that doesn’t work for everyone. One size does not fit all, and we must offer varied educational choices, including virtual charter schools.
Indiana sees value in virtual learning, offering supplemental and summer school online courses. Unfortunately, classes are not open to all students and are costly. Virtual charter schools provide educational equity for all students, regardless of ZIP code.
One issue needing clarification is that virtual charter schools are not state-sponsored home schools. Virtual charter schools are public schools. Students in virtual charter schools have Indiana-certified teachers and are subject to every measure of assessment and monitoring that other public school students have. The only difference is location. Why should students be geographically tethered to a building?
Recently, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, “I am advocating for using whatever models work for students, and particularly where improvements have stagnated for years. We cannot continue to do that same thing and expect different results. We cannot let another generation of children be deprived of their civil right to a quality education.” We agree.
We call for higher-quality learning, greater student achievement and results. Virtual school students perform equal to or better than traditional public school students, according to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning.
Democrats for Educational Reform state, “It’s time for Democrats to wise up and realize that supporting public charter schools is the right thing to do. When Democrats, who have historically been proud supporters of public education, are the ones standing between the families we claim to represent and the public school options for which they clamor, we have to re-examine our priorities when it comes to schools. President Obama and Secretary Duncan get it. It’s time for the rest of our party to figure it out.”
Indiana lawmakers should embrace virtual learning instead of capping off progress toward real improvements in education. Let virtual charter schools prove their worth by allowing access to the thousands of Hoosier kids waiting for virtual schools.
