To some, the chaotic shutdown of school systems we saw last spring proved the limitations of online learning. But what if teachers and students had time to prepare to learn in a virtual setting and didn’t face an impromptu stampede into Zoom classes and online lessons without advance notice? It’s not receiving as much news coverage as the woes of learning disruption, but successful virtual schooling models existed before the coronavirus pandemic — and continue to help kids flourish.
It’s critical that amid the continued challenges we don’t undersell this: Online learning complements other quality educational options. For many families, virtual education doesn’t just work, it works better than other options available to them. Recognizing this, wouldn’t policymakers want to support California’s online schools with fair funding and resources?
I discovered the value of online education nearly 15 years ago, when virtual education was a much more foreign concept than it is today. In 2007, I enrolled my students in a virtual charter school, and it didn’t just change my life, it changed our entire family’s lives. While traditional public schools work well for some families, my two children were rapidly losing their love of learning and curiosity in their traditional public school.
Hoping for better, I made the difficult choice to enroll my children in a virtual charter school, and we’ve never looked back. Engaging, interesting curriculum and being allowed to work at their own pace and on their own time were game changers for my kids.
Often they did school work in normal school hours, but they used the flexibility available to them to do things like volunteer at the YWCA with disadvantaged preschool kids — during the school day. Along with the flexibility and ability to work at their own pace, our virtual charter offered several exciting electives not available in the traditional public system.
All these things combined helped reengage their love of learning. They excelled in their new courses, and their achievements through the years ensured they won merit-based scholarships at each university that offered them admission. Thanks to their virtual school, my kids have thrived in college and are enthusiastic about continuing their learning journey.
Today, I count virtual school as one of the best decisions our family ever made. Of course, it doesn’t work well for every child. And online learning is especially prone to problems when teachers and schools transition to it on the fly, and lack technology, training or even family buy-in to the idea.
But these pseudo-virtual-education experiences that some families are having during the pandemic aren’t the experience of families attending, and thriving at, established online schools. Emergency online pandemic school isn’t the same as an established virtual school at home — not even close.
Backing that up is the surge that California saw last year in families wanting to enroll in established online charter schools after their schools struggled during the disruption. Inconceivably, rather than support online schools in serving families desperate for quality education amid the disruption, our state has actually sought to defund online schools.
It's critical at this point to remember school choice isn’t an either-or option. Choice promotes an all of the above approach, which places children at the heart of education decisions and prioritizes parents’ choice in selecting the best curricular model for their family. Pandemic or no pandemic, there will always be students who want to stay in their traditional public school — and that’s wonderful if it works for them.
The important part of school choice isn’t which option you select for your family, it’s the fact that you have and use the freedom to choose.
As a mom, I want nothing but the best for my children and all children. I hope no child ever has to face the pain that comes with feeling stuck in a school that doesn’t work well for them.
As School Choice Week begins, I celebrate virtual schools and how they gave my children an avenue to happiness and success. Let’s not forget that tried and true virtual schools are a vital choice for families, and they deserve our state’s appreciation and support.
Janell Smiley is a board member of California Parents for Public Virtual Education and author of “ … As Long As You Don’t Turn Them Into Weirdos.” She lives in Santa Rosa.
You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.
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Close to Home: Virtual learning is a vital choice - Sonoma Index-Tribune
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