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The governor’s education plan for Virginia
January 16, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
“You perform well, you keep your job. You don’t perform well for an extended period of time, you don’t get a guarantee,” was Mr. McDonnell’s common-sense argument. The success of the initiative will depend upon the strength of a more rigorous evaluation system, the details of which have yet to be fleshed out, and expected opposition from the Virginia Education Association, representing the teachers.
Particularly noteworthy is the governor’s aim to empower parents by giving them more educational choices. He would give tax credits to businesses that provide scholarships for children from low-income families to attend private schools, would encourage virtual schools as a new approach to learning and would provide more support to charter schools. The Republican governor is to be commended for aligning himself with President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan in his support of charters, but we wish he had gone further in removing the barriers that have made Virginia so inhospitable to charters. The governor’s plan would establish a technical advisory committee to help charter-school applicants develop their plans and ensure they get a fair share of public resources, but it does not break the stranglehold that local school divisions have in authorizing start-up of charters.
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Is Online Learning One Third Cheaper?
January 11, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Blended learning can save some money; online learning can save a lot. That’s the conclusion of a working paper — The Cost of Online Learning–from Fordham’s Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series. A talented team from Parthenon lead by Tammy Battaglino wrote the report. They estimate “that full-time virtual schools cost, on average, $6,400 per pupil, compared with $8,900 for blended schools and $10,000 for traditional brick-and-mortar public schools.”
Online learning providers won’t agree with the projected 35% savings. They would say that with staffing ratios not all that different from traditional schools there is some opportunity for cost savings — maybe half of what Parthenon came up with.
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McDonnell proposes repealing ‘Kings Dominion law,’ teacher tenure in schools plan
January 10, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Charter schools. McDonnell proposed establishing a technical advisory committee to help charter-school applicants develop their plans. He also wants to “clarify” the per-pupil amount that charters should receive and said details about that would be forthcoming.
Virtual schools. The governor proposed establishing an alternative licensure route for virtual-school teachers and said he wants new regulations for accrediting full-time virtual schools.
Dual enrollment. The governor wants to tweak the law to allow high school students to work toward an associate’s degree.
For the rest of the article, go to McDonnell proposes repealing ‘Kings Dominion law,’ teacher tenure in schools plan
