There is no aspect of “reform” that has failed more decisively than virtual charter schools. They provide instruction online and receive full state tuition. Their students dropped out at high rates–usually 50% annually–they spend millions on marketing and advertising to lure new students, who her low test scores and abysmal graduation rates.
North Carolina’s legislature just invited two online charters to open. They will siphon funds from public schools. North Carolina has, in a short time, gone from being one of the most progressive southern states to one with underfunded public schools and poorly paid teachers. The legislature seems to want to introduce every failed idea into education. They even killed off the state’s successful teaching fellows program, which prepared career teachers, and replaced it with $6 million for TFA.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And K12 Inc might be the worst player.
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North Carolina will serve as a prime example for the failure of “education reform.” A truly great educational system is being systematically taken down by the misguided, the shortsighted, the greedy and the Rupublican party.
One day, perhaps in NC a conservative Republican will see the value of public institutions and lead a renewal of public support for real public schools.
Watch for it. In the end, it will be “the enemy to the reduce”.
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Unfortunately, it is not just the Republicans who demonstrate ignorance and greed. The Democrats have become the champions of corporate education reform under the current administration. They try to frame the restructuring as a civil rights issue when their policies only serve to drive good teachers out of low performing schools. Why would any skilled teacher work in an environment that practices unjustified culpability? Exceptional teachers will simply leave high-risk areas, or get forced out of teaching as a result of unwarranted putative policies. How does that serve the most disadvantaged students? These policies only make it clear that too many politicians are either remarkably naïve, or more than eager to serve the objectives of the highest bidder – regardless of how immoral or unethical those objectives may be. I will never vote for a politician (of either party) who supports these pseudo-scientific mandates.
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The greatest country, the richest country, is not that which has the most capitalists, monopolists, immense grabbings, vast fortunes, with its sad, sad soil of extreme, degrading, damning poverty, but the land in which…wealth does not show such contrasts high and low, where all men have enough – a modest living – and no man is made possessor beyond the sane and beautiful necessities. Walt Whitman
Oh where is our Walt Whitman now? The need unnecessary to grab public education and make a fast buck will take our nation down a very slippery slope to abject poverty and a total plutocracy. Sad that we almost had it all…
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Let’s face it the biggest failure is the decision to destroy public schools starting with systematic starvation.
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This is one of Peason’s biggest growth markets. Connections Academy.
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Thank both parties for this folly. Vote 3rd party.
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How do online students get Tested? What avenues are they lead down? How much of the low scores are pure apathy?
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Online students take online tests. No one knows who answers the questions.
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“Never mind the miserable track record of the company, the damage done to students’ education and the public money wasted in other states.”
It’s an “experiment” that is replicated everywhere, never ends, and no one ever looks at the results.
I wish public schools had better advocates in government. They could negotiate compensation to pay the costs of the “churn” of online charters- students move from online charters back to public schools and when they return (in my district, anyway) they have to be “caught up” which costs public schools money.
If public schools have been designated the disfavored safety net for “schools of choice” by politicians then public schools should be compensated for filling that role.
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“If public schools have been designated the disfavored . . . ”
Are they then the red-headed step child???
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My public school superintendent is a very calm person-good listener, diplomatic- and even SHE complains about cybercharter churn.
She’s familiar with the families here and she knows these kids aren’t supervised because the parents are working and the cybercharter “model” demands that parents supervise.
We all know no one is home to “coach”. It’s delusional. A charade. The kids themselves say it’s a joke. If they come thru the juvenile court system they brag that they they don’t have to go to school. It makes me wonder what they they think of the adults who are perpetuating this fraud. They can’t possibly respect them. .
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I read a piece by an ed reform advocate at least 2 years ago where he was sure the market would weed out the rip-off online charters.
So why are they still expanding into more states? What’s the market failure here? If it’s captured and corrupt politicians they should say so.
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In 2006, Fordham Institute wrote, “There are too many poorly performing charter schools
(and, online schools)”, in a paper titled “Turning the Corner on Quality…”
Nine looooooooong years of abysmal performance and taxpayer rip-off.
At what point does Fordham use measures of accountability for its ideas?
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The business model of “cybercharters” is absolutely amazing:
“As noted on the K12 Inc. website, a “core element” of the online learning model is the learning coach, typically a parent.This is an individual “who facilitates progress through daily lessons in the K-8 environment and who plays a supportive role to help the student stay
on task in high school.” K12 Inc. notes on their website that the learning coach should expect to spend three to five hours per day with students in kindergarten through 6th grade and two hours per day with students in 6th through 8th grades. If the learning coach is hindered in his or her ability, it negatively impacts
the student’s chances of maximizing the potential of this educational model.”
They collect the cash and then announce they require a huge unpaid workforce of “learning coaches” or it won’t work.
Why isn’t the “learning coach” ever mentioned when politicians and paid hacks are selling this? So basically K-12 shouldn’t be enrolling anyone who has parents who work, because this “model” requires a huge unpaid staff?
Lawmakers can’t be this stupid. They must be corrupt.
http://linkis.com/nea.org/A64bA
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“At what point does Fordham use measures of accountability for its ideas?”
It doesn’t!
Accountability is for the public schools not private schools.
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“Lawmakers , corrupt” and unaccountable to their victims, yes.
Education villainthropies, evil and unaccountable to their victims, yes.
Oligarchs, evil and unaccountable to their victims, yes.
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