In American government, the rule is "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely." And certainly don't do anything until forced to.

The free market is once again being stifled by the socialist agenda put forth by unions and government

While it is the states right to determine educational issues under the 10th Amendment, the state should stay out of the way for this potentially breakthrough market that allows people to be a community again instead of dealing with the meat processing plant that has become public education

The more complex a problem is the more it should be dealt at the local level.

Obviously the state is out of step with the county and the state should yield to the county in face of this successful solution to a problem that seems to be isolated to this county.

The teacher should embrace this as a career opportunity not as a threat andband together to put something competitive to this

And no public education is not competitive as demonstrated.
the heavy handedness of this act of judicial activism shows that in the socialist setting a one size fits all mentality is not the correct solution.

Good luck to the county, I hope they win through the legislature

Funny how socialism is a bad idea except for police and fire. We all accept those socialist institutions without question.

A little "free market" fire and police protection and poor people would be out-of-luck.

That is why we do things the way we do them.

I've been a secondary teacher in public schools for the past ten years. Unions have little power in Texas, relatively speaking, and I've been hung out to dry each time I've asked one for help, so I certainly don't speak for them. In response to the two questions posed:

1. The current public school curriculum, particularly in my state, revolves around the standardized TAKS test. Our kids are tested to death, from 3rd to 12th grade. Since these test scores play a huge role in determining the performance status label is slapped on each campus and district, administrators want teachers to teach the test and how to take it. Whole learning doesn't matter. The arts and electives don't matter. Education is not fulfilling to students because teachers are not free to teach. Yes, this makes parents and students unhappy, and many times, the complaints are legitimate. However, more and more students over the years that I have taught have parents who show up at the school, threatening to sue the teacher or even physically attacking her because the kid shouldn't have to turn in work on time, or read a particular novel, or take a test without having a review available. I've had to deal with far too many parents in recent years who are unhappy with the public school curriculum because they wish to dictate every aspect of what their child experiences. Fine. That's what homeschooling is for. However, with home schooling having little oversight or accountability in many cases, students don't always benefit from it just because their parents or a family friend becomes their teacher. Turning to virtual curriculum may work for small numbers of students, but the bulk of them are simply following the "do what I want when I want" trend in education.

2. Public school can only learn from online schools if something exists to be learned. "Bullies and heavy backpacks" is not all that public education has to offer. Students have to learn, particularly in this age of technological anonymity and a complete lack of personal accountability for anything, that they must actually be around people that they don't like sometimes. They must learn that deadlines exist, rules are not always stupid and must be followed, and that the easiest path is not always the most rewarding. They must learn that life is not a series of things that make them happy, that competition exists, and that they will not always win or get their way. They must learn social interaction and how to resolve problems. I had my head slammed into a locker repeatedly and was pummelled black and blue by an older girl when I was in school. While I don't wish that on anyone else's child, I had to learn to deal with that and respond appropriately. Social skills can't be taught over a computer, and so much of my job is spent teaching social skills that everything else seems to pale.

Public education could be revamped in most states to be much more effective and enjoyable of people simply had the nerve to demand the right changes and not worry about who would threaten to sue them. School districts are terrified of lawsuits, and will get rid of any teacher to appease an angry parent or group. A good place to start would be with these -
A. Allow schools to expel permanently the most disruptive and problematic students who have established a pattern of dangerous behavior and who have no intention of actually getting an education. At some of my schools, students who have assaulted teachers are brought right back in as though nothing had happened. "Taking out the trash" may seem an overly harsh way to put it when dealing with other people's children, but to deny that such people are there is the height of foolishness.

B. Allow teachers to teach. Throw out the oppressive standardized tests and go back to the end-of-course exams that used to exist.

C. Seriously review the Special Ed policies and procedures. Decide which students truly need the help, and who doesn't. Every kid with a diagnosis of ADHD and a prescription from a doctor should not be a Special Ed student. When almost half the students on your campus are designated Special Ed, and you have a stack of modifications per kid that the classroom teacher is required by federal law to follow on a daily basis and document that you did so (everything from reading tests aloud to shortened assignments and modified tests with fewer answers to not making the student write at all or read out loud to not taking Scan-tron tests), something is wrong. While innocent enough individually, these modifications take time. When I have a class of 30 kids, 67% of them are classified as Special Ed, I am not a trained or certified Special Ed teacher, and I have them for 50 minutes, How can I do it? When the Special Ed department runs your school, something needs to be changed.

D. Give the teachers a break. SOmetimes it feels like every parent out there thinks that a monkey could do my job, and they don't hesitate to tell me so. We get paid very little for certified and trained professionals with college degrees. Many teachers I know work additional jobs or even go on food stamps just to make it. Administrators don't support us, and frequently lie to us or sacrifice us to the angry mob when they could show some spine and make an improvement. Like most people these days, our medical benefits are pathetic, and we're essentially threatened with our jobs if we miss work.

My profession is an honorable and difficult one. I just wish it would be respected again. My problem is not so much with virtual and other alternative schools, but rather with the idea that public education can't be saved, so we shouldn't even bother trying.

If you think we should be allowed the FREEDOM to chose the education our children receive- especially when public school is definately not the best choice for millions of school aged children and parents- you should check out Ron Paul's ideas about education. He is for funding homeschool/ virtual schooling/ private/ and /or parochial schools by a tax rebate, similar to the Earned Income Credit that many poorer families receive, to help fund the best schooling for each individual child. Every situation is different and some public schools are wonderful, but there are others that fail miserably, and the students in those districts (Yes- even the poor ones) should have the oppurtunity for the best education possible!!
His website is www.RonPaul2008.com

My children attend the public virtual school in Wi that could close. It is a public school with state certified teacher. My children follow a curriculum chosen and lead by the teachers. They have direct teacher contact and lot's of interaction with other students including online classes.
In fact, the teachers in our school are dues paying members of the teachers union (WEAC) that sued to close our school and take away it's members jobs!
Vitual schools are a great alternative for students who do not do well in a traditional school setting. We have great teachers who work hard with and for our students.
We are not homeschooling. We are schooling at home through a public virtual school.

I'm the father of two boys enrolled in a virtual school in Wisconsin (as well as a daughter in the local high school) so I'm hardly biased ...

causing tears among some students and applause from one teachers' union.

That should be 'the' teacher's union - there is only the one in Wisconsin. The applause was appropriate - they brought the lawsuit.

But folks at the National Education Association say a program with unlicensed teachers and no student-to-student interaction should not be draining tax money from traditional public schools.

Our kids have licensed teachers. There is less student-to-student interaction, granted; it's hard to pass notes when the classrooms are miles apart.

Except for IM. And email. And field trips. And 'day off' trips to the park or the local ski / sled hill.

Here's the thing; the virtual schools are public schools. Kids in VS are no more 'home schooled' than a parent who works from home for IBM is self-employed.

The debate raises at least two interesting questions:

Those are interesting questions. My answers are 'yes' and 'yes'.

The VS my kids attend (Wisconsin Virtual Academy) is fun and challenging. The material is more intelligent than I've come to expect from public schools after seeing the drek that passed for text books.

Ya, fun. The teachers and administrators are jazzed and happy with their jobs - this matters to the kids.

Funny thing is, the campaign trail these days is pretty much devoid of any education talk whatsoever.

I'm not sure education should be a national concern. It would be a chore-and-a-half to get the legislation that we're enacting in Wisconsin to pass at the Federal level. Plus .. what if we're wrong and VS as practiced by Wisconsin is a huge time waster and money sink?

At most a few thousand families are affected, and one state out of fifty. The rest of y'all get to avoid our mistake and make new ones.

Of course if it works out then everyone can copy our model, suitable for local conditions, and everyone goes home happy.

Cawdor
The teacher should embrace this as a career opportunity not as a threat andband together to put something competitive to this

The teachers do. WEAC - the teacher's union - initiated the lawsuit without consulting their members. So we have the rather odd situation where a union is suing to put their own members out of work.

Jana
Turning to virtual curriculum may work for small numbers of students, but the bulk of them are simply following the "do what I want when I want" trend in education.

I do not think that VS is a trend that will work for a large number of students, either. But it does work for some. It's a tool, same as special ed or tutoring.

Please also remember that VS (at least in Wisconsin) are public schools.

As for social skills - the kids in VS are not isolated. They deal with conflicts with peers all the time; on field trips. outings, after school activities and so forth.

It's possible, Jana, that you're confusing 'home school' with virtual school?

My wife was a teacher for over a decade, in public school and private. Her specialty was Special Ed and we both have, and retain, a great deal of respect for the profession of teaching, and educators.

I HAVE 3 AUTISTIC KIDS I BELIEVE THAT ALL HOMESCHOOLS ARE GREAT AND ALL VIRTUAL SCHOOLS ARE AWSOME THEY NEED TO KEEP FUNDING THESE SCHOOLS. THE PUBLIC STATE SCHOOLS HAVE ISSUES IN TEACHING DISABLED AND HANDICAP CHILDREN SOMETIMES EVEN NORMAL CHILDREN WE ALL NEED TO STAND UP AND KEEP ALL SCHOOLS LIKE THESE ONLINE RUNNING THANKS.