Oxford Launches Virtual School: Program With China Allows Students To Take Part In Exchange Program Without Travel

One of my doctoral students alerted me to this news item.  An interesting, and unique program…

Oxford launches virtual school: Program with China allows students to take part in exchange program without travel

Published: Sunday, May 15, 2011

By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY Of The Oakland Press

Across Michigan, as many school officials reluctantly prepare to make cuts, Oxford Community Schools officials are coming up with multiple ways of raising cash to maintain and expand programs.

It was just last month Superintendent William Skilling announced a new Oxford school in China for which parents there will pay tuition to ensure their child is prepared for the best American and Chinese universities. The Northeast Yucai Oxford International Senior High School in Shenyang includes at least one residential year and the option of two in Oxford.

With the ink barely dry on that agreement, Skilling has announced a new International Virtual High School for which students from China, the U.S. and any other countries who take advantage of it will pay about $250 a course. Any cost for Oxford students will be covered by the district.

“We are arranging a virtual student exchange program that means students in China attend 8 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m. their time. And the opportunity will exist for our students to be full-time exchange students by starting evening virtual classes from to early morning hours.

“What that does for an Oxford student is it takes away the barrier of wanting to be a foreign exchange student but not wanting to give up athletics, fine arts and friends.”

Marty Johnson, who is now Crossroads for Youth principal, will have exclusive responsibility for launching the new International Virtual High School this fall. Johnson, who has been spearheading the effort to create the school, will be assistant principal at the high school until the virtual school expands to need a full-time principal.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to be in on the initial launch of such an innovative, sustainable program. It is very exciting,” Johnson said.

Strategy equals growth in students and funds

While most districts have had to dip into their emergency fund to cover costs, Oxford school district has been increasing its fund balance during the past four years. It is now up to 15 percent of the total budget to ensure students achieve a global education and ensure the district can deal with what comes its way, Skilling said.

“We (school districts) need to think of ourselves as businesses and the community as future employers,” he said.

In that light, Skilling announced last week that athletics at the 1,100-student Oxford Middle School will be expanded to double the number of students participating. There will be two teams of each sport for boys and for girls. He also promised that no programs will be cut.

The strategy of expanding and improving programs has increased growth in the Oxford district by 525 students in the past four years to 4,700 students. Skilling, who taught high school economics and was a consultant and traveled internationally, is projecting enrollment will continue growing to 10,000 in five years.

Although Oxford is a school of choice and could take on 300 new enrollees from other districts, Skilling expects the increase in enrollment will come mostly from students enrolled in the Oxford school in China; sister-school Chinese students; and out-of-district American students, who want to take advantage of the virtual high school — not neighboring school districts.

Oxford school in China

Tuition for the up-to-40 Chinese students at the International Residence School in Oxford will be $30,200 for a package that will include room and board for the entire school year, an international education that meets high standards of both Chinese and American universities, fees related to clubs and trips, and costs for such things as Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons games and other cultural experiences. Students are being interviewed now for the fall through Skype, Skilling said.

Students at the school based in China have the option of spending one or two years in the Oxford residential program. This year, there will be a residence hall for female students only and males will stay with host families. Next year, there will be residence halls for each.

Oxford teachers will have first option to teach the virtual courses. Some courses will be offered online around the clock, and others will be interactive distance-learning courses.

No pay to play

This strategy of expanding programs by raising revenue allows Oxford schools to continue a policy of “no pay to play” and no cost to students for school activities and games. Skilling says this policy has actually resulted in an increase in revenue because more families can afford to attend functions. He said $10 for the parents is more affordable than $25 or more for a family of five.

“We will never have pay to play. With families hurting in this economy, even with the opportunity to play and not pay, some students will tell us they can’t play” because their family can’t afford the regular cost of participation.

“In our district, we believe academics, athletics and art are equally important to students to help them compete in the global marketplace,” the superintendent said.

Academic programs expand

Those academic programs, such as early high school, also will continue to be expanded. This means that, at sixth grade, students can begin taking high school classes so they can be ready to take college classes when they reach high school.

To make the “K-20” program more convenient and attractive, the college classes will be taught on the Oxford High School campus by college instructors or by Oxford teachers who have a similar education level.

“If the focus isn’t on preparing kids to compete and live successfully in a global world, we are totally disadvantaging our students,” Skilling said.

In that light, “We have not cut any fine arts programs, we’ve added advanced placement programs, we’ve added International Baccalaureate programs, we’ve expanded math programs. We have the only 11-year world language program that starts in kindergarten with Mandarin Chinese or Spanish and makes students fluent by the time they get to high school. We have a program in which students learn classical guitar or violin. We’ve added an engineering program for sixth- to-12th grade and every sixth- to eighth-grade student is offered a biomedical program.”

Administrative restructuring

In order to accomplish all this, top school administrators will be moving to new positions when school opens in the fall.

Oxford High School Principal Michael Schweig will become the new middle school athletic director as well as the new principal at Crossing Bridges Alternative High School and at Crossroads for Youth.

Schweig has been principal at Oxford High School for 13 years and has a passion for working with at-risk students and athletics, Skilling said.

It is anticipated Crossing Bridges, which started this year with 10th grade and will expand to 12th grade by the 2012-2013 school year, will continue to grow as an alternative school for students.

Oxford High School Assistant Principal Todd Dunckley will become the new principal of Oxford High School. Dunckley was principal of Lake Orion High School before coming to Oxford last year.

In his first year at Oxford High School, Dunckley did extensive research and developed relationships that will help make the new Oxford International Residence Academy for the Chinese students a reality. He revamped the discipline protocol at the high school, which Skilling said has seen positive results. And he helped conceive the new Oxford Collegiate high school schedule, which will be implemented next year.

When Skilling talks to education groups, he advocates for putting more time into refocusing and reframing the problem and setting goals.

“We spend three times the time on how to generate revenue and create programs” as looking at where to make cuts.

“This year will be a bad year and it is not going to be easy to get through it, but we will get through it. We will continue to expand and improve in spite of cuts,” he said.

Contact Diana Dillaber Murray at 248-745-4638, email diana.dillaber@oakpress.com or Twitter @DDillybar.