You are here: Home / Archives for virtual schools

Online schools task force disbands; no changes proposed

December 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

SALEM — A committee created in a grand bargain to settle issues from one of the most contentious battles of the last Oregon legislative session — the expansion of online charter schools — has disbanded without proposing any changes.

The Task Force on Virtual School Governance was supposed to recommend ways to improve the oversight of online schools. Its creation helped sway three Democrats to switch their votes, allowing the narrow passage of a contentious bill giving more students access to Internet-based learning.

But the panel issued a report this week asking the Legislature only for authority to expand its scope and continue working next year. The report says the panel got a late start and didn’t have enough time to thoroughly investigate the topic.

It was supposed to issue the report by Oct. 1, but didn’t hold its first meeting until Nov. 3, in part because Gov. John Kitzhaber’s office was slow to make appointments for two of the five seats on the panel.

For the rest of the article, go to Online schools task force disbands; no changes proposed

Filed Under: Home Page, Online High Schools Tagged With: ,

Online Courses for Elementary and High School Students?

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In an effort to accommodate students with varying levels of advancement and in reaction to state budgetary cuts, at least 30 states in the US now let elementary and high school students take all their courses online.

According to Evergreen Education Group, a consulting firm that works with online schools, an estimated 250,000 students nationwide are enrolled in full-time virtual schools, a 40 percent increase in the last three years. And the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a trade group, says two million kids take at least one class online.

Advocates say online schooling can save states money, offer curricula customized to each student and give parents more choice in education.

“I don’t think learning has to happen at school, in a classroom with 30 other kids and a teacher… corralling all children into learning the same thing at the same pace,” Allison Brown, a Georgia mother of three, says. “We should rethink the environment we set up for education.”

For the rest of the article, go to Online Courses for Elementary and High School Students?

Filed Under: Home Page, News, Online High Schools Tagged With: ,

Oregon online charter schools fought hard to lose enrollment limits, but end up with fewer students than limits allowed

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Becca Uherbelau, spokeswoman for the Oregon Education Association, said Tuesday that the fact that enrollment did not reach the voided enrollment caps does not mean the union’s opposition to the new law was overblown.

Enrollment could rise, she said. And the union remains concerned that online charter schools are not transparent in their finances or accountable to the public in the same way schools run by local school boards are.

“Regardless of how many students are currently enrolled, there are still concerns around accountability and education quality with virtual schools generally,” she said.

For the rest of the article, go to Oregon online charter schools fought hard to lose enrollment limits, but end up with fewer students than limits allowed

Filed Under: Home Page, News, Online High Schools Tagged With:

Letter: Legislator responds to Rep. Barnhart’s column

July 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For the past several years, virtual public charter schools have operated successfully in Oregon, serving thousands of students who, for whatever reason, did not find the traditional brick-and-mortar schools to be a good fit for them.

These virtual schools, just like brick-and-mortar schools, often contract with for-profit companies for services such as curriculum and technology.

They follow all state standards, and employ dozens of Oregon teachers licensed by the state.

As with all other charter schools in Oregon, online schools receive less than the full amount of state funding earmarked for each student, a percentage is retained by the sponsoring school district.

For the rest of the article, go to Letter: Legislator responds to Rep. Barnhart’s column

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page Tagged With:

Website helps parents compare the options to find the best place for their kids to learn

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Anyone who has ever tried to figure out the right school for their kids knows it can be tricky. Everyone is guaranteed a spot at their neighborhood public school, of course, and most families wind up there in the end. But many parents want to see what else is out there, from magnet schools such as Buckman Arts Elementary to public charter schools such as Emerson School.

And then there are venerable private schools such as the Oregon Episcopal School, as well as fast-growing virtual schools.

For the rest of the article, go to Website helps parents compare the options to find the best place for their kids to learn

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page Tagged With:

Education package approved

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last-minute amendments to two of the controversial, mostly Republican-backed school choice bills proved key in breaking a standoff in the evenly divided Oregon House. That standoff on Monday evening appeared to threaten the passage of all the other proposals.

The House reconsidered and approved on Tuesday a previously defeated bill to make it easier for students to enroll in online charter schools, House Bill 2301. The bill was approved on a 33-27 vote after the proposal’s sponsors agreed to an amendment that would set up a government task force to closely examine how the state could ensure some quality control at virtual schools, an issue critics had expressed concern about.

For the rest of the article, go to Education package approved

Filed Under: Home Page, Online High Schools Tagged With: ,

Oregon House narrowly defeats online school bill

June 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On a dramatic tie vote of 30-30, the Oregon House defeated legislation that would loosen enrollment restrictions on online virtual schools in the state.

Immediately after the vote, legislative leaders for both parties held closed-door caucuses to discuss whether the bill might be revived and how to proceed on the rest of a package of education bills.

House Bill 2301 would allow online schools to enroll as much as three percent of a school district’s population without getting permission from the state.  Currently, students need to get permission from their local school district before they can enroll in an online school.  The schools also have a cap on their total enrollment.

For the rest of the article, go to Oregon House narrowly defeats online school bill

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page Tagged With:

Choice, accountability must be part of education reform

March 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s also time for Oregon to embrace alternative education. Without strong accountability measures in place, it’s wrong to force students to attend schools that are failing them. House Republicans strongly support parental choice, and we’ll work to protect alternative schools, charter public schools and virtual schools that accommodate the unique needs of many Oregon kids.

Education reform doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. Both Republicans and Democrats have offered excellent ideas.

For the rest of the article, go to Choice, accountability must be part of education reform

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page Tagged With: , ,

Sources Say Rally earns righty’s scorn

February 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

District spokesman Matt Shelby says the district’s actions are entirely appropriate. “We as a public agency can lobby the Legislature for the largest piece of pie we can get, just like every public agency does,” he says. “We are not advocating the pie be larger; we are advocating for our slice.”

Taft sees still sees a bias, charging that the district doesn’t rally for “more conservative educational causes” like charter schools, virtual schools and homeschooling. “They send out the e-mails only to sustain the public schools’ monopoly on education,” she says.

For the rest of the article, go to Sources Say Rally earns righty’s scorn

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page, Online High Schools Tagged With:

Valentine’s Day, Oregon’s birthday, virtual schools and revenue forecast happening this week in Salem

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This week will be a busy one for the Oregon Legislature (and a fun one to watch).

Let’s start with the House Education Committee, which will continue public hearings Monday on virtual schools. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. in Hearing Room E. As one of my colleagues, put it, this isn’t so much a hearing but more like a “WWF showdown.” (By the way, the governor is also scheduled to be just down the hall celebrating Oregon’s birthday at a celebration, which also starts at 1 p.m.)

For the rest of the article, go to Valentine’s Day, Oregon’s birthday, virtual schools and revenue forecast happening this week in Salem

Filed Under: BestOnlineHighSchools.com, Home Page, Online High Schools Tagged With:
« Older Posts