Unleash Online Schools

Wisconsin State Journal Editorial:

The state Court of Appeals just handed the Legislature an important assignment:

Update state laws governing public education to take advantage of the opportunities presented by online learning in virtual schools.

Lawmakers should dig into the homework, starting now.

Virtual schools, which deliver coursework via computer to educate students in their homes, have great potential as a cost-effective alternative to standard schools.

But last week the District 2 Court of Appeals in Waukesha put the future of virtual education in Wisconsin in doubt.

The court ruled that the Wisconsin Virtual Academy based in suburban Milwaukee violates state laws controlling teacher certification, charter schools and open enrollment.

The three-judge panel also put the academy in a financial bind by ordering the state to stop paying for students who attend the academy when those students are not residents of the local school district.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 9, 2007 12:00 AM
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