Despite the miserable results that cyber charters get in study after study, the state has authorized more of them than any other state. It has 12 up and running, four more just approved, and more in line to be approved.
I mistakenly reported in an earlier post that only one cyber charter had ever made “adequate yearly progress,” but I was mistaken. NO cyber charter has ever made AYP in Pennsylvania. It was only because the State Education Commissioner dummies down the scoring that one crossed the bar. When held to the same standards as public schools, no cyber charter meets the NCLB requirement for academic progress.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Because Pennsylvania is stoooooopid!!!!
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Based on the data alone they should be shut down. If I were a resident I would be so displeased. So very displeased. But it’s up to the parents, teachers and students to ride herd on this issue. I can only complain to my elected official if I know how much of my federal dollars/taxes are going to support this. Does anyone have an idea?
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Ms. Ravitch:
On behalf of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, I appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight. PA Cyber, which educates a diverse and talented student body of thousands of school-aged Pennsylvanians, proudly has achieved AYP for three consecutive years – two of which were under Gov. Edward G. Rendell’s administration. During those years, PA Cyber met 89 targets. Furthermore,
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations, but particularly in the area of student achievement. We also are dedicated to being held to the highest standards of accountability. We ask only that we be judged fairly and in an informed manner, and that the inspiring work being done by our students, families and staff be thoughtfully recognized.
Respectfully,
Dr. Michael Conti, CEO
Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
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Isn’t the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School the one where the FBI went into your offices and checked your records to inquire into where the public’s money was going?
Do you have an elementary age child?
Do you think he or she should be taught on a computer at home?
There may be a small number of children who need to be taught in this way, but do you seriously believe that your state needs 16 cyber charters?
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For those unfamiliar with PA Cyber Charter and Mr. Conti:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/pa-cyber-charter-school-fires-most-top-managers-653932/
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Yes. PA Cyber was raided by the FBI.
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Say what you will about inferior brick and mortar schools, but it’s been a while since the FBI raided my elementary school!
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And in fact here’s an article on Mr. Conti’s questionable practices (Sunday front page of the Post Gazette) http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/pa-cyber-ceos-consulting-work-questioned-662620/
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Shall we talk attrition rates?
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My brick and mortar school has a larger percentage on children living in poverty and a higher percentage of students with IEPs and we made AYP. It is time we all face the facts that children do not learn in an isolated environment using only limited electronic communication. Learning theories tell us that learning is a social endeavor for not only social skills, but also high level content. We need to use language to learn and we need to have our ideas challenged in order to learn deeply. This can be done during a carefully designed activity followed by a discussion led by a skillful teacher or by writing prompts or other means. However, the discussion must be allowed to begin and evolve in spontaneous ways. Some of my most productive student discussions occurred spontaneously, not at a prescribed time. These productive conversations simply cannot be done in a an electronic school or in any school that is so scripted that it cannot adjust to the flow of students’ ideas. A discussion is not simply a ping pong ball being bounced between two stationary walls in highly predictable trajectories.
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The PA Dept. of Education has NOT updated its accountability website (http://paayp.emetric.net/) to show the changes in AYP status. It still has this cyber charter as making AYP along with other charters which have had their AYP status revoked. I emailed them today. Let’s see how long it takes them to respond.
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