Virtual Schooling In The News

Beginning with the ASCD SmartBrief.

Digital Learning Day: Strategies for adopting classroom technology
The Alliance for Excellent Education is promoting the first annual Digital Learning Day, to be held on Feb. 1, when it will recognize educators who are successfully integrating technology into the curriculum. Bob Wise, the group’s president and former West Virginia governor, and Sarah Hall, director of the Alliance’s Center for Secondary School Digital Learning and Policy, suggest that effective use of classroom technology requires planning, a willingness to try new tools, and the ability to choose and combine content and technology to create effective lessons. U.S. News & World Report/High School Notes blog (1/25)

SmartBrief on EdTech.

States to teach digital literacy with online program
Education Week/Digital Education blog (1/20)

Fla. online school spends less, posts higher AP scores
Online students at the Florida Virtual School in 2011 outscored their peers at brick-and-mortar schools by an average of 12 percentage points on Advanced Placement tests, despite spending nearly $2,200 less per student than a traditional school. A study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that online schools spend less money on school operations, but the same or more on “content” and “student services” and three times as much on “technology.” Sunshine State News (Fla.) (1/23)

Videoconferencing helps N.C. district expand teachers’ reach
Officials in a North Carolina school district are planning to use videoconferencing to help expand the course offerings at their schools. Starting next school year, the technology will be used to broadcast a course at one school to other schools throughout the county. “It will help our students be competitive across the board,” said Shirley Gamble, the school’s principal. The Fayetteville Observer (N.C.) (1/24)

Bill requiring online learning advances in Indiana
WANE-TV (Fort Wayne, Ind.) (1/25)

Back to the regular Google News Alert for virtual school.

Oklahoma City to host Jan. 24 “town hall” during National School Choice Week
Tulsa Today (blog)
Concerning this year’s likely or potential legislation at the state Capitol, Jolly reflected, “I expect to see a virtual school bill, a process to create a clearinghouse at the state Department of Education. I believe Senators John Ford [a Bartlesville …
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EARLY GRADUATION: Real learning in virtual school
Greensboro News & Record
More than 32000 students took NC Virtual Public School courses last school year, according to the NC Department of Public Instruction, making it the second-largest virtual school by enrollment in the country. The NC Virtual Public School was indirectly …
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Notes from School — Jan. 22, 2012
Fond du Lac Reporter
3, at Camp Vista in Campbellsport. n The Fond du Lac School District is accepting enrollment for students interested in participating in the Wisconsin Virtual School program. The opportunity is available to students in Grades 6 to 12. …
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school choice deadline nears
Bradenton Herald
To register students in virtual schools, families should check out the weblink provided above, which also includes a link to virtual school information. n Career academies offer high schoolers a chance to earn college credits and participate in …
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Online drivers’ ed makes sense for course vendors
MiamiHerald.com
Earlier this month, the Tampa Bay (St. Petersburg) Times looked into the state’s largest online course provider, the Florida Virtual School, which, with a little help from the legislature, has grown into a $166 million-a-year operation. …
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Program to help 5th-year seniors earn diplomas
Columbia County News Times
They’ll work in the alternative school’s computer lab 9 am to noon Monday through Thursday, taking online courses on the Georgia Virtual School system under the tutelage of high school graduation coaches. Many fifth-year seniors detest having to learn …
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‘Virtual’ Charter School Looks To Cabarrus, Seeks BOE Partnership
WFAE.org
But the school system would still have to pay for Cabarrus County students who transfer to the virtual school, just like it does with other charter schools. Currently, that’s about $6500 per student in local and state funds.
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Charter, virtual school expansion a possibility
Topeka Capital Journal
By Tim Carpenter About 200 virtual school students from across the state will descend Tuesday on the Capitol to earn face time with Kansas government. The road trip for Maize Virtual Preparatory School’s students won’t be the most unusual feature of …
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Spending $2159 Less Per Student, Online School Outscores Florida Campuses on …
Sunshine State News
Online students at Florida Virtual School outperformed their traditional-school peers on Advanced Placement tests in 2011, and at less cost, new studies show. Florida Virtual School reported scores that averaged 12 percentage points higher than …
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Growth will stretch charter school policy
News Chief
Berry opted to take a job with Florida Virtual School. The only other issue she could remember before that was in 2005 when several staff members from the high school transferred back to the Polk County School District. However, the system could have …
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MCS virtual tech class offering 2 key languages
Memphis Commercial Appeal
“I think the virtual school is a great idea. You can’t go to two schools at the same time.” The city schools got approval for the investment from the state, including permission to spend $458000 in Race to the Top funds on STEM curriculum provided by …
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Two Rivers School Board approves virtual school
Herald Times Reporter
TWO RIVERS — Ninth- through 12th-graders living within the boundaries of the Two Rivers School District now have another option for acquiring an education — the Two Rivers Virtual School. School board members unanimously approved the virtual school …
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Virtual charter school company gets approval in Cabarrus
The Progressive Pulse
K12, Inc. has hired numerous lobbyists in North Carolina, including a former state legislator from Cabarrus County, and agreed to send the Western North Carolina school district a percentage of its revenue in exchange for sponsoring the virtual school.
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Jindal pushes virtual programs
Daily Comet
Jindal wants more students to enroll in the Louisiana Virtual School, a statewide program that offers Internet courses to home-schooled children. Louisiana Virtual School offers a full range of high-school classes from English, math and biology basics …
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3 finalists named for online K-12 teacher award
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
The finalists are: Leslie Fetzer from North Carolina Virtual Public School, Tracy Seiler from the South Carolina Virtual School Program and Asherrie Yisrael from Georgia Virtual School. The winner will be announced March 1 and will receive a trip to …
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Digital academy could help city keep students
Springfield News Sun
… Staff Writer 10:27 PM Monday, January 23, 2012 SPRINGFIELD — More than $1.1 million in state funding follows nearly 200 Springfield students to online schools, but that could change as the district prepares to launch its own virtual school.
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Bill: Give parents more say on what happens to failing schools
The News-Press
And it informs parents that they have the right to request a copy of their child’s teacher evaluation, and gives a virtual school option to students with ineffective or out of field teachers. It also calls on districts not to assign poor teachers to …
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Critics say ‘cyber’ charter schools have not delivered results, but families …
Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com
She also questioned the $5 million salary reportedly paid to the leader of the country’s largest virtual school provider. Former state Superintendent Tom Watkins testified in favor of the bill, saying the lawmakers need to be open to new ideas given …
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Furor erupts over bills to let parents decide poorly performing schools’ fate
Orlando Sentinel
The bills also require schools to tell parents if their children’s teachers have received poor evaluations or are teaching outside their field and to let parents know they might find a better option at a virtual school. And it prohibits a student from …
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Maryetta School offers virtual school
Cherokee Phoenix
Maryetta Schools in Stilwell is wrapping up its first semester of virtual school, which gives students in grades third through eighth the chance to participate in online classes from a home-school setting. “We’ve had a lot of good, positive comments …
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Clayton Ridge to Roll Out Virtual School
Eastern Iowa Schools
Any students is eligable to enroll in virtual school. But administrators expect less than one percent of the students to take part. Nelson said, “It might be the autistic kid or special needs child who needs to focus and not have all the noise or …
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Digital Learning Day is February 1st — Free Online Trivia Game about …
DigitalJournal.com (press release)
Educators at leading virtual school Connections Academy are offering a free, online trivia game about technology and science. The launch of this special edition Quiz Bowl Trivia Challenge is dedicated to Digital Learning Day, which will be held on …
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Proponents say bill would empower parent
MyFoxOrlando.com
The Parent Empowerment Act allows parents to decide if they need to get rid of current teachers or administrators and use something like a charter or virtual school instead. “It has a really catchy name, good marketing, but was not driven by parents, …
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Digital has its drawbacks
South County Independent
Yes, both the digital school model, in which students have a plethora of gadgets at their disposal in a classroom, and the virtual school model, where student and teacher communicate by computer, are intriguing. But, because too often technology comes …
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Bus attack questions? We have answers
Ocala
Vianello said parents of the seven students were informed they could also homeschool their children, put them in virtual school, or try to enroll them in a private school. The board will make its decision on Feb. 28. What is the liability of the school …
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The 4 Keys to a Successful Online School
T.H.E. Journal
By Chris Riedel For Broward Virtual School’s Evelyn Weaver, building a successful virtual learning environment begins with four key components. The development of an immediate, effective technical and academic support system.
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Community stepping up to help Suttons Bay Schools
UpNorthLive.com
Superintendent Mike Murray says the district planned to get state funding for 760 students, but fell short by 114 students due to a charter school’s decision to drop out of Suttons Bay’s virtual school. The student funding has left a $400000 hole in …
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Statewide Public School Choice Coming to Wisconsin
Maciver Institute
The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families was the legislation’s leading proponent and the American Federation for Children, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, and the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators all rallied …
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New proposals could bring dramatic changes to Missouri schools
St. Louis Beacon
Direct the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish a clearinghouse to help students in unaccredited districts transfer to an accredited district, a charter school, a virtual school or a nonpublic school using a Passport …
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School Choice Fair on Saturday
U-T San Diego
Nearly 44 percent of San Diego Unified students pass over their neighborhood school in favor of a magnet school, a virtual school, a charter or simply a more appealing campus across the city. California’s second-largest district, San Diego Unified was …
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Difference engine: Let the games begin
The Economist (blog)
In your correspondent’s opinion, the Khan Academy has the makings of what a free, world-class, virtual school should be. Try it. In the end, the two technologies that could save science education from the kind of reforms the pedagogues have in mind are …
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‘We Found a Place Where Our Children’s Safety Would Never Be An Issue’
Michigan Capitol Confidential
“There are over 5000 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 …
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Finally, the Google News Alert for cyber school.

Karen Santorum’s past: Let it go
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
… in 2004 by billing the Penn Hills school district for $100000 of his children’s cyber school tuition even though the family actually lived in Virginia.

Publics’ edge: Districts can make AYP even if a school fails
Blairsville Dispatch
By Rachel Weaver, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW When Ron and Tina Gamble’s twin daughters, Jessica and Lauren, considered leaving public school for cyber school …

Salisbury Considers Creating Cyber School
Patch.com
The Salisbury School Board is considering creating its own online school to regain students who left to attend cyber charter schools and to supplement …

Pittsburgh Musical Ttheater casts teen actors in controversial …
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Jameson started high school in the Moon Area district and finished up at the PA Cyber School while also completing PMT’s pre-college program.

Where’s Education in the Republican Candidates’ Slugfest?
Huffington Post
The Santorums yanked their kids out of the Pennsylvania cyber school and were not required to repay any of the districts costs.

Achievement House Cyber Charter School Opens Pittsburgh Center in …
Patch.com
Achievement House Cyber Charter School (AHCCS) has opened a Pittsburgh Education Center in Oakmont this month to meet the needs of currently enrolled and …

Marcolini meets with community
Monessen Valley Independent
“I don’t like the fact that they go to a cyber school and graduate with just a certificate. They can do it here and get a real diploma.