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Bill Opens Door to Virtual Schools: Statewide Charter School District is Seen As Step Toward Online

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 May 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Lisa Michals, The State, Columbia, S.C.

May 02--South Carolina students might not have to go to school to get a public education in the future.

They could go to cyberschool instead.

A charter school bill Gov. Mark Sanford is to sign Wednesday would allow for a statewide virtual school so students can learn online.

The bill, which creates a statewide charter school district, paves the way for virtual schools but stops short of sanctioning a school that exclusively offers online learning.

Before a virtual school could open, the Legislature would have to determine how to regulate it.

"Virtual schools are something that this charter school bill has certainly laid the groundwork for," said Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Sanford. "It's something that we're certainly open to in terms of a way to expand choices for students and parents."

Sanford continually has sought additional education choices for parents, including private school tuition vouchers and publicly funded prekindergarten programs in private child-care centers.

The governor also is an ardent supporter of charter schools, which are free, publicly funded schools open to all students and free of some regulations, with the goal of offering innovative education. About 4,500 students attend South Carolina's 26 charter schools.

Supporters of virtual charter schools said online learning could be embraced by parents who don't feel capable of traditional home schooling, or by parents who seek an education for their children outside of traditional school districts.

Charter schools authorized to be in the new statewide district could come online by the 2008-09 school year.

At least three out-of-state organizations have expressed interest in starting online learning initiatives in South Carolina, said David Church, S.C. Association of Public Charter Schools executive director.

"It does require further legislation to define what a cyberschool is," Church said. "We hope that the General Assembly will attend to that as soon as possible."

There is a possibility the General Assembly can squeeze it in before the legislative session concludes. The state House of Representatives' Education Committee is to discuss a bill today that would create a statewide virtual charter school district. The bill could define a virtual school in South Carolina and how one might be created.

"I was trying to set up something where every school district in the state doesn't have to reinvent the wheel," said Rep. Rex Rice, R-Pickens, who thinks online learning would offer a choice to families in areas where charter schools don't exist.

Some traditional South Carolina school districts already offer online courses, said J.C. Ballew, who oversees the charter schools program at the S.C. Department of Education.

Nationwide, many states and charter schools operate statewide virtual school programs. Sometimes, they partner with for-profit companies.

In a virtual learning setting, students take lessons, complete assignments and take tests online. Teachers monitor their learning and grade the assignments and exams. Sometimes, online chats, e-mail exchanges, telephone conversations and even home visits are part of a virtual school program.

"I'm not sure how far (the General Assembly) is willing to go, but I'm glad they're having a conversation," Ballew said.

While the S.C. School Boards Association is opposed to the statewide charter school district because it severs charter schools from local district oversight, the association is interested in virtual learning, said Paul Krohne, the association's executive director.

"It's just totally a whole new concept, and we're just going to have to see how it all plays out," Krohne said.

If charter schools can serve students statewide via the Internet, then it should be an option for traditional school districts, too, said Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland.

"The public schools ought to have the liberty to innovate, as well," Neal said.

Reach Michals at (803) 771-8532.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The State, Columbia, S.C.

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Source: The State (Columbia, S.C.)

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