School choice is best option for individual needs
are not choosing to return to their traditional brickand-mortar public schools. This is according to multiple recent media reports.
As a member of the board for Ohio Connections Academy, one of the state’s leading online charter schools, and now board chair of the newly approved virtual school, Great River Connections Academy, we believe in the fundamental notion that every student learns differently and they deserve the opportunity to find the environment that best meets their needs. Seeing the number of students who turned to other online charters after their school closed, it’s clear they believe this and so do their parents.
How do we come to this understanding? We’ve witnessed the students who attend online public charter schools and we know their reasons for enrolling. Some participate in athletics, music and the arts at a very high level and their training requires the schedule flexibility that online schools offer. Some of the students are in search of a more rigorous curriculum or are looking to work at a faster pace.
Many students who turn to online charter schools weren’t successful in the traditional environment. Many of these students come credit- deficient and need help to get back on track. Other students needed to be removed from a situation where they were bullied or felt unsafe.
Whatever the reason for a student to enroll in an online charter or any other alternative school, we know that they were in search of a solution to a situation that was preventing them from succeeding in the classroom.
Research shows many students who enroll in an online charter school attend for as little as a year. They stay until they get things figured out or the problem with their previous school no longer exists. Many of the students looking for that temporary option determine this approach is the best fit and they remain through graduation.
If a student attends the online school for a short period of time and was able to move on and be successful elsewhere, that’s wonderful. The important thing is the student faced a challenge to their academic success and they had options available to get back on track.
When talking about online charter schools, there is something that is often not reported, believed or even acknowledged when it comes to accountability. These schools are held to the same academic and reporting standards that traditional public schools follow, as required by the Ohio Department of Education. And the students must achieve the same testing and course requirements as those in any other public school.
To say otherwise is a terrible disservice to the parents of a child who might be struggling in a traditional brick-and-mortar school. While the decision to change schools is never easy, to mislead parents to believe they have no viable option is irresponsible.
One of the realities of online schools, because the parents actively sought out a different environment for their child, is they often enjoy a high amount of parent involvement. Perhaps this is the reason many of the students and families who recently found themselves needing a new school only considered other virtual school options.