There is no denying that the future of education is in technology, with students as young as kindergartners now learning computer coding and using tablets. Taking courses online is a great way for students to access opportunities that may not be offered at their local school, from Mandarin to AP Physics. It’s also a boon for parents who would like to homeschool, but do not have the expertise or time to teach their child effectively.
For youth with severe disabilities or health problems, or those who have adult demands on their time ”“ pursuing a sport or an artistic endeavor, such as acting or dance, at a professional level ”“ an online, public school option can be an affordable, flexible option to help them succeed.
We agree that Maine should definitely embrace this kind of learning, but the devil, of course, is in the details.
Last Thursday, Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill that would have done two things: placed a moratorium on the implementation of virtual charter schools in Maine until Jan. 1, 2015 and directed the formation of Maine’s own virtual charter school.
The veto came just days after the Maine Charter Commission ”“ the body set up to evaluate charter school proposals ”“ gave a unanimous vote to enter contract negotiations with Maine Connections Academy, which would be the state’s first online public charter school. The school is set to open in September for nearly 300 students in grades 7-12.
LePage’s veto did not come as a surprise, since he has been promoting charter schools for years. In 2011, he signed a bill to form the Maine Charter Commission and allow them to approve up to 10 charter schools by 2022. Currently, the commission has approved five charter schools, with the first two opening last year: Cornville Regional Charter School and Maine Academy of Natural Sciences.
LePage said he vetoed the bill, LD 1736, because of the moratorium provision, since he wants to see the Maine Connections Academy move forward. It’s unfortunate that these two efforts ”“ setting up the state’s own virtual school and placing a moratorium on others ”“ could not have been separated.
Charter schools, whether virtual or brick and mortar, pull funds away from the regular public schools. That’s where the debate really lies, rather than on the issue of virtual or physical schooling.
It makes sense that if public money is going to be used for charter schools, those schools should be locally based and employ local people. That’s not the case with Maine Connections Academy, however, which is a for-profit business that contracts with states to provide public charter school education. A local group of Mainers is behind the virtual charter school effort to bring MCA to the state, of course, but the course content and instructors are from away. Another bill, LD 1617, would seek to address some of the details of implementing a virtual public charter school option, but is pending amendments.
Ideally, Maine would scrap the charter school idea entirely and implement its own virtual schooling option. This would allow students who qualify, based on need and circumstance, to enroll fully in the school, while others could take some courses online to supplement their in-school learning options. The teaching staff would be local, so taxpayer money would be helping the state economy, and oversight of the content and instruction would be done by the existing district school boards.
With the current law in place to allow 10 charter schools through 2022, we agree with the governor’s veto, since putting a moratorium on the virtual schools at this time ”“ effectively changing the rules after the approval process is complete ”“ would be unfair to the MCA.
In the long run, however, charter schools undermine the community provided by a regular public school experience and divide students unnecessarily. With virtual options, those who either excel or need extra help in certain areas can get the best education for their needs online, without stripping their community’s public school of the funding their attendance would provide.
With a growing number of charter schools, virtual or not, funding is going to continue to be drawn away from the core public schools that serve the majority of Maine students, and the communities built around those schools will be irreparably fractured.
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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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