Virtual schools, cyber school, online academies. These terms seemed foreign to most Americans ten years ago, but with advancements in technology and the deterioration of the public school system, virtual schools are growing in popularity. The Tucson Citizen documents the growth of virtual schools in Arizona.
Below is what some Arizona students are saying about their virtual school experience:
“I won’t have the distractions of other people in class who don’t want to do their work and who are trying to get me to join them,” said William Huston
“The flexible schedule is great and a lot less stressful,” said Rebekah Devine.
“I’d like to finish high school in three years, so the virtual classes are great. This summer I was able to do what I wanted during the day and do my classes at night,” said Diana Garcia.
Home school combined with Christian online academies is an outstanding way to educate children. Home schooling with online academies has proven to be extremely successful. While virtual schools eliminate the dangers of public schools it does not eliminate students learning about evolution and other fallacies. Instead, Christian home schooling online academies teach home schoolers the truth of the Gospel and allow parents to instill Godly values into their children.
Michael Smith, co-founder and president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), wrote an interesting article in The Washington Times earlier this week about home schooling’s success in America. Smith is ecstatic, as we all should be, that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recognized home schooling as a viable educational option in his opinion of Morse v. Frederick.
Morse v. Frederick examined the constitutionality of public schools ability to regulate a student’s speech. The case was heavily discussed among the media. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, said Principal Deborah Morse did not violate Joseph Frederick’s rights to free speech when she took down his poster which advocated marijuana use.
In his opinion of Morse v. Frederick, Supreme Court Justice Thomas said, “If parents do not like the rules imposed by those schools, they can seek redress in school boards or legislatures; they can send their children to private schools or home school them; or they can simply move.”
The Supreme Court judge’s suggestion that parents can choose home schooling along with their right to choose private or parochial schools is a step in the right direction for the home schooling movement. Justice Thomas also put home schooling on the same level with both public and private schools which is rarely done by someone who isn’t a part of the home schooling community. Smith writes, “After 24 years, it is gratifying to read the words of a Supreme Court justice who rightfully placed home schooling on a level playing field with public and private schools. This kind of recognition is tremendously significant to the home school community.”
Read the rest of Michael Smith’s compelling article here.
Seventy-eight charter schools have closed in Florida between 1996 and 2006. Ronnie Blair of The Tampa Tribune gives charter schools a mixed report for the first ten years charter schools have operated in Florida. Blair writes that “charter schools are public schools funded by taxpayers but operated by private individuals, organizations or other public entities. They are free from government regulations other than testing, health and safety requirements.”
Most charter schools aren’t significantly different than public schools. While on the surface, some charter schools may appear to be successfully educating students, it only seems successful when comparing it to the abysmal public school system. Since charter schools are less regulated than public schools there is more of a chance for mass cheating, like charter schools in Texas, or other disreputable activities.
Blair notes that failing grades and mismanagement of schools were two big reasons why so many charter schools in Florida were shut down. Too many times people with good intentions, but no business-sense or background in education try to save children from public schools by opening up a charter school. In the end, though, some charter schools end up being worse than public schools.
The most effective alternative to the public school system is homeschooling. A charter school that is recognized as being successful still only offers one-size fits all curriculums. Charter school classrooms are just a little less crammed than those of public schools. Homeschools don’t have to deal with any of these problems and homeschooling delivers higher quality educations too. Homeschooling statistics prove that homeschooling is an all around better alternative to public schools than charter schools.
One of the best aspects of homeschooling is that it allows families to have flexible schedules while also allowing home schooling students the opportunity to pursue their passions. If a student wants to learn more about World War Two then he or she can learn more. If a student wants to study the affects of new media on society then he or she can study it. If a student wants to learn an instrument or play a sport then they are certainly welcome to do so.
Home schooling students in central Pennsylvania exemplify this pro-active attitude of learning and doing. The Central Pennsylvania Homeschool Ensemble is alive and well according to The Patriot News. Some people worried that the home school ensemble would collapse after Pennsylvania finally allowed the state’s 25,000 home school students to participate in public school’s extracurricular activities in 2005. The orchestra is still going strong under the direction of its conductor Barry Clay. The central Pennsylvania Orchestra has twenty-four members, ages ranging from nine to nineteen.
It’s great that this ensemble is still going strong and it makes a statement too. Often times home schooling students get inaccurately labeled as not being properly “socialized”. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Home schoolers, on average, participate in five activities. That is a lot of venues for home schooling students to socialize with their peers.
Home schooling students, like the ones in the Central Pennsylvania Home School Ensemble, pursue their interests while socializing too. The bottom line is this: home schoolers are socially active amongst other home schoolers and also amongst non-home schooling students.
