About the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families
Our coalition is the voice of the families who have selected virtual learning as the best public education option for their children. Together with our fellow parents, families and friends, we will educate policy makers and others on why we chose a virtual school for our children; how our school works; the close, working relationship we have with our teachers and administrators; and much, much more.
The Coalition board includes:
- Jane Kummer-Meyer, President
- Julie Thompson, Vice President
- Bob Reber, Treasurer
- John Meegan, Member
- Rose Fernandez, Member
A Brief History of Virtual Schools in Wisconsin
Winter 2002: Appleton School District announces plan to start Wisconsin Connections Academy, the state's first virtual school. Prospective students sign up through open enrollment.
Spring 2002: Sen. Chvala (D-Madison), with the urging of WEAC (teacher's union) introduces a bill that would restrict open enrollment by only allowing students to open enroll in a school district which is physically adjacent to their resident district. This bill would have effectively killed virtual schools before they started. Fortunately the bill fails to pass.
Sept. 2002: Connections opens as scheduled. WEAC promptly sues on the grounds that the school violates open-enrollment laws. WEAC eventually loses this case, but decides not to appeal because they are already involved in another lawsuit against WIVA.
Sept. 2003: WIVA opens. WEAC immediately sues, this time with the additional charge that WIVA is using parents as unlicensed teachers (despite the fact that the parents are volunteers, like many parent volunteers in traditional public schools). WEAC eventually loses this suit, too, and decides to appeal.
Dec. 2007: The appeals court rules in WEAC's favor. If allowed to stand, this ruling would close every virtual school in Wisconsin.
Shortly after this decision, two bills on virtual schools are introduced in the state legislature. Sen. Lehman's (D-Racine) bill would cut funding in half and introduce a wide range of restrictions. Virtual school administrators say this bill would force them to shut down. Rep. Davis' (R-Monroe) bill would allow virtual schools to continue as they had been.
Jan. 2008: The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families holds a rally in favor of Rep. Davis' bill at the State Capitol. Over 1200 teachers, parents and students show up and spend the day educating their lawmakers on virtual schools.
Feb. 2008: Sen. Lehman and Rep. Davis announce that they've reached a compromise. The compromise bill will keep full funding for virtual schools and introduce some restrictions which virtual school administrators say they can live with.
Governor Doyle, at the urging of WEAC. tells lawmakers he will veto the bill unless they include an amendment freezing enrollment at the current level (approx. 3500 students) and preventing any new virtual schools from opening. The Democratic-controlled Senate passes the bill with the amendment; the Republican-controlled Assembly passes the bill
without the amendment.
March 2008: After weeks of intense negotiations (and sleepness nights for many of us parents) and with less than two weeks to go in the legislative session, all sides announce a compromise. Virtual school enrollment will be capped at 5250 students and there will be no restrictions on starting new virtual schools.
The Assembly quickly passes the new compromise. A week later, the Senate follows
suit with Senator Lehman working with us on this compromise.
April 7, 2008: Gov. Doyle signs Act 222. No virtual school students, parents or teachers are invited to the signing. Gov. Doyle publicly thanks Rep. Pope-Roberts (D-Middleton) for her help on the bill. We parents find this bizarre, since Rep. Pope-Roberts fought hard to prevent this bill from passing, but decide it's Gov. Doyle's way of telling us he didn't really want to sign this bill. We celebrate anyway and breath easier, thinking the cap won't be reached for at least a couple of more years.
April 2009: The DPI announces that record numbers of students have open-enrolled in virtual schools and that the cap has been reached. A lottery is held and 1400 students are placed on a waiting list.
Summer 2009: Arne Duncan, Pres. Obama?s head of Education, announces the Race to the Top fund. This fund will go to public schools in states that allow innovations in education. One of the stipulations is that the states must allow charter schools and must not have any restrictions on enrollment in these charter schools.
August 2009: The DPI announces that the final name has been selected from the waiting list; all students on the list were given the opportunity to enroll in a virtual school this year. Of course, many families withdrew their names early from the list, not wanting to be in limbo about the coming school year.
Fall 2009: Gov. Doyle announces plans to update Wisconsin?s education laws so that we will be eligible for the Race to the Top fund. The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families meets with lawmakers, trying to convince them that the virtual school cap is a restriction on charter schools and will hurt Wisconsin?s chance to get these funds.
Oct. 20, 2009: The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families holds a Day at the Capitol. They present awards to those lawmakers who helped us win passage of Act 222. Families also visited their lawmakers to ask for their help in removing the cap.
2009- Present The coalition members and board of directors have been working with legislative allies to REMOVE THE ENROLLMENT CAP and REFORM THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PROCESS. WCVSF receive regular updates about these activities.
We welcome your input and look forward to joining you in advocating for our children and their virtual schools.
We're able to be powerful advocates for Wisconsin's virtual schools and the children who attend them thanks to many people who believe in our cause. We welcome your support of our nonprofit group, but your donations are not tax-deductible.
Contributions can be mailed to:
Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families
PO Box 70760
Madison, WI 53707-0760