Virtual schools have come under a very concerted attack by the teachers' union (WEAC) and now the Democratic-led Senate (Sen. John Lehman [D-Racine]).
Virtual schools must be doing a good job to have inspired this kind of attack from the establishment that 'owns' education. Only the fear of exposure of new ideas seems to provoke such heavy-handed attacks.
There are now 12 virtual schools in Wisconsin serving some 3,500 students. One of those schools, being operated by the Northern Ozaukee School District, was taken to court by WEAC and recently lost an appeal in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals that said state aid could no longer go to the virtual school run by the District. The Democrats now appear to be earning their keep by WEAC by dreaming up new legislation that, while depicted as being helpful, is designed to kill virtual schools once and for all time.
Parents with students in these schools are overwhelmingly supportive. They say that their kids are being well-educated, have a lot of individual teacher time, can tailor their curriculum to the individual student's needs and accommodate both gifted and challenged students along with the mainstream students. The students must test out using the state-approved tests, the curriculum is approved by the state, the teachers are actually members of their union, etc. The cost per student in this virtual school has been $5,845.
What is wrong with this picture?
It defies the establishment's long-held monopoly on education in Wisconsin and elsewhere. This is a huge threat to the status quo, which apparently has to be protected at all cost even when it is not generating the kinds of results we all expect. Virtual schools are threatening to the establishment, just as choice schools are threatening to the establishment. All these alternative educational approaches must be demeaned and killed off so the taxpayers do not come to understand that 'the king has no clothes'!
Why would citizens continue to pump more and more tax money into an MPS with a record of graduating some 50% of those who begin their freshman year in that system if they knew they had viable alternatives? Competition is not desired by the establishment; competition is feared by the establishment.
And what is worse is the manner in which this attack is mounted. The proposals brought by the politicians beholden to the establishment are dressed as sheep to conceal the wolf beneath. Double talk is designed to disguise the real purpose. We have to "guard against corporate profiteering" according to Sen. Lehman. What was really being said, in my opinion, was "we need to protect the establishment and we'll use whatever subterfuge we need to use in order to assure that outcome."
Too may of our elected representatives understand that few of us keep an eye on their activities, and are thus insulated when they undertake to protect their donors to the detriment of those they 'represent'.
I am not against the educational institutions we have in Germantown or Wisconsin or the United States. At this time, those institutions are doing, for the most part, a good job of educating our children. But, is that any reason to turn a blind eye on other approaches? Is that any reason to attack those organizations that would use alternative methods that might just be the right approach for some?
I am against the educational establishment that would keep such alternative approaches completely off the board unless and until they have no other choice. And, I am disgusted with the political lackeys that do their bidding with seemingly no concern for those whom they were elected to represent.
Take a look at Comparative Philosophy.
