Is Virtual School the Right Choice for Your Child?

It's never too late to explore your options...

 

Joshua McMurtry was a strong student, receiving high marks from his elementary school teachers. But the Milwaukee fourth-grader still didn't feel confident academically, expressing concern to his parents that he was uncertain about what he was getting out of school.
After researching various options and talking with family and friends, Joshua's mom, Cheryl, decided to enroll him in the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, a full-time, tuition-free online public charter school for grades K-12 open to students statewide.
"It was the best decision for him and for us. During his middle school years, we wanted to ensure that he was getting what he needed," said Cheryl McMurtry.
The McMurtry family is one of thousands of Wisconsin families who have turned to online education as an alternative to the traditional brick and mortar school. The state had 32 virtual charter schools in the 2014-2015 school year with more than 7,000 students.
Each school is authorized by a school district, and students can enroll anywhere in the state through Wisconsin's open enrollment provisions. The largest virtual schools in Wisconsin are the McFarland School District's Wisconsin Virtual Academy, Waukesha's eAcheive Academy, Appleton's Wisconsin Connections Academy and Northern Ozaukee's Wisconsin Virtual Learning.
Leslye Moraski Erickson, the head of the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, said the reasons families opt for online education are varied, but the allure is its customization and flexibility.

 

 

Read the rest at MetroParent Magazine.

Honoring Janet Gustman

Wisconsin's online public schools employ hundreds of outstanding professional educators. In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, a parent with the Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families, Moira McManus, offered this insight about Janet Gustman, a teacher at the Wisconsin Virtual Academy:

Janet Gustman has always shown genuine concern for our students. This year, she noticed when my son was behind in his history lessons. She called him to find out if there was a problem that she could help him with. She also worked with him to set up a schedule for him to catch up. Finally, she checked back with him later to see whether the plan for his work on history was working or whether it needed to be adjusted. She was always encouraging him and helping him feel like he could complete this task.

Janet Gustman has a unique perspective as a teacher since she used to be a learning coach. She knows the system from both sides. As a result, she encourages learning while understanding that it happens in different ways with different families. She allows me, as the learning coach, to decide what will work best for our family and at the same time is always ready to offer assistance when it is needed.

By approaching my son about his progress in his history course and helping him formulate a plan for improving, she gave him the encouragement and enthusiasm to achieve the goals that they set together. He realized that he had both a responsibility and the ability to reach those goals. Even though she does not always interact with the students face to face, she does an amazing job of connecting with them and getting results!

Congratulations to Janet, and all of our outstanding teachers!

Will Lawmakers Trust the DPI, or Parents?


By Peder Berg

If lawmakers truly want to improve Wisconsin's schools, they will abandon plans to inject the heavy hand of the state via an accountability scheme and instead unleash the oft-ignored power of Wisconsin's parents.

Every family, no matter what their home looks like or where it is, deserves to have multiple schooling options and objective, meaningful information to inform their choice.

It is time for lawmakers to publicly recognize that Wisconsin kids do not belong to any school district or any system. They are not dollars on a budget sheet or merely vessels for state aid. It is time to firmly reject the "Madison Knows Best" approach toward improving our schools.

So, here's this parent's thoughts for a low-cost, free-market, pro-parent, small-government school accountability plan.

  1. To truly see how well a school performs, a school grading system for those which receive public funds must put the most emphasis on individual student growth, not the average of snapshot test scores of a school's entire student body. Give extra credit for schools that catch-up learning lags and retain students.
  2. The report cards should waive the test scores of first-year transfers as to not penalize the new school for possible failures of the old one.
  3. Make D and F schools mail their report cards to parents, who must sign to acknowledge receipt. These mailings should be standardized and free of any explanatory spin from the school.
  4. Eliminate the "Home District" and Department of Public Instruction veto power over public school open enrollment transfers
  5. Empower parents with information regarding test scores, graduation rates, retention, school safety, etc. Give parents  the accountability 'stick' that makes funding decisions (via enrollment). Do not create a new board or give DPI new authority
  6. Phase in state-wide private school choice over the next three years
  7. Instead of new mandates on schools and teachers, mandate that the DPI must inform all parents of all the options available to them. Turn DPI into an agency that serves parents, not 'the system'


Will this parent-centered accountability plan solve all the problems in our schools? No. But diminishing the DPI's power and instead trusting parents will go a long way toward making our schools better. Let's get real.  Parents are the first to know that a school isn't working and must be empowered to take action in their child's best interest. If lawmakers want to improve schools, they need to empower parents. Period.

Lawmakers need to quit giving deference to the school administrators no matter how well-meaning they are. The administrators' allegiance is too often rooted in the system, the status quo.

If we approach accountability the right way, school boards and, administrators will feel the heat, do a better job, raise teacher expectations, and earn students. Not because they fear the heavy hand of the nanny state, but because they will see the families in their community as customers and potential customers.

Bold, smart and compassionate lawmakers are not afraid to put the parents in the drivers seat. And our state's children will be the prime beneficiaries.

In his State of the State speech, Governor Walker said:

"I call on the members of the state Legislature to pass legislation ensuring objective information is available for each and every school receiving public funds in this state. Provide the information and allow parents to make the choice.

"No need for bureaucrats or politicians to make that choice—I trust parents. Give them access to objective information and they will make the choice that is best for their children."


Will lawmakers rise up to that challenge?

It is time to recognize that lawmakers or administrators do not care more about students than their own parents do.  

Will lawmakers seize this opportunity to be bold? Will they actually embrace the small government and pro-free market principles they talk about during campaign season?

Will they say #itrustparents?

If not now, when?

Berg is the President of the non-profit Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual School Families, an organization of public school parents, teachers, students and alumni who have advocated for education reform in Wisconsin for the last decade.