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I find it interesting that so many voices who are 'b&m' oriented have such strong opinions about virtuals. As a 5 year veteran virtual charter parent (ORCA) with 3 kids enrolled, I feel qualified to offer up an opinion of what virtual charter schools are and are not.

First, (from a quality provider), they are an amazing student-centered innovation in public education. The model is a parallel to the revolutionary change to every other aspect of American life, (dial phone, anyone?). Because each student has their own 'school' they can progress as quickly or as slowly as they need to - without any stigma.

They are not 'kids in front of a computer' all day. We have textbooks and workbooks AND computer. At the grade school level, we send in a monthly portfolio of hand-written schoolwork. (Older kids do submit their assignments electronically). The work is certainly an appropriate preparation for the real world.

They are also not an isolation tank. Our three kids socialize better than their b&m friends. They comfortably interact with people from all ages and walks - from smaller kids to adults. Again - a better preparation for the real world than an artificial "Lord of the Flies" environment where one social misstep can emotionally scar a kid for years.

Virtuals are also NOT for everyone. It requires committed parents. As one poster noted, we make sacrifices to be virtual schoolers. It is not easy, but it is an investment in our kids.

My question - why can we not have virtuals as an option for the parents & students to choose? I have never heard any virtual school advocate call for the closure of brick & mortar schools, why can't the opposite be true?

ORCA is very successful, rated Outstanding by the state. Why can we not guarantee that it will be available for all the years of our kids' education? Why must we be at the Capitol every year to fight the misconceptions and beg to be allowed to return to school in September? Is our 1% of Oregon's student population that much of a threat to the status quo? This issue has used up so many resources, so much time. What is the REAL issue?

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
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