Southmoreland School District Superintendent, John Halfhill is wrong. In an editorial he wrote in the Pittsburgh Tribune. He makes the point in the article that cyber schools are stealing money from his District and not delivering a good education.
In reality cyber schools are taking the unwanted failing students from school districts like Connelsville, and providing them with remedial attention to bring their grades up. Students leave school districts for specific reasons. Many of these students leave our school after they gain skills, and then re-enrol in their prior school district.
The real question is who should determine how educational dollars are spent? Cyber schools take the student’s perspective in maximizing alternatives for them to choose the best possible strategy to catch up.
Mr. Halfhill would do better to improve his own school district instead of going on a witch hunt against cyber schools. The cyber school movement is still very young. We are still in the testing stage of cyber education. Over time I believe that cyber education will prove to be an excellent alternative for students who are...
• bullied
• pregnant teenagers
• in need of working at their own pace.
• in need of different kind of school schedule based on the demands of a professional career.
Many school districts have already accepted this and began to open their own cyber schools to meet the needs of these students that have fallen through the cracks of traditional education. Mr.Halfhill would do well to follow the advice of my mother who always said ..." If you can't beat them join them.
Pat Parris
No comments:
Post a Comment