Caligirl: I agree that it is better than no diploma. My kid is doing online school right now and doing great! However fyi he is not considered homeschooled because he is taking it through the Waukesha public school. So Janesville school district will not let him take any classes through them! Believe me we tried and were soundly turned down! they are very territorial and because he's not through janesville he can't take any classes. So much for our tax dollars!! I encourage anyone who is interested and their kid is not doing so great in the school system, this is a great alternative. Check it out1

I finished my last two years of college online through a accredited school. Does that mean my Bachelors degree in CompSci was earned by watching TechTV?

Virtual schools are just another option for parents to educate their children - they follow state laws and regulations. For those who think this is a bad thing, maybe you're just lashing out at those things you don't understand or care to learn anything about.

Parents need more choice to educate their kids, period. Public school teachers are so swamped they don't have time to care. The social structure is so horrifically materialistic and superficial kids with ambition and drive are often the worst treated.

We are going to come to a point where more students are going to utilize online/virtual instruction than actual classroom instruction. In my opinion, the online environment is a blessing as it's been the only way I'd be able to get my Criminal Justice degree as an adult while working full-time and being a parent. If my kids expressed a desire to do their learning online, I would strongly consider letting them. They would of course still remain involved in sports and extracuriculars to ensure they have a social tie or two to the community and kids their age, but I almost wonder if they would learn more being under my supervision, then they would at the schools, without the peer pressure, school politics and school violence that so many public schools suffer from.... Kids cannot be in danger of school shootings, bullying and/or discrimination while attending a virtual school. So tell me why I should support real classroom instruction over online/virtual instruction in the safety of my own home? Just curious.

volunteer in the school over a couple of years time, pay very close attention while you are there. You would see what queenb means by politics. It has more to do with administration than the school board, but sadly at times behavior of the teachers. Now working for the district does not apply as volunteering because when one is a paid employee they tend to be a bit biased. But volunteer and open your eyes it can be alarming. Some schools are not as bad as others. It seems like the smaller they are the more 'issues' there are. I think its very clear why more and more parents are opting for other sources of education for their kids.

iamqueenbee? "Quit the damn politics"? -the school board is elected by the people~~
the main question is who sets the cirriculum. Isn't it the people elected to the school board that has to okay the cirriculum.
Who did you have in mind to run the education system?

My daughter virtual schools. We love it. She can takes a broader range of classes that the district could not offer. She has more opportunity's for a better education than in a district school. She works at a faster pace than what they do in school. There is also a group in this area led by one of the teachers who meets twice a month for field trips some close some a little further away. There are more hands on projects she can choose to do as part of the curriculum. The 'brick and mortar' schools need to suck it up and get with it. They will continue to lose students if they don't make some changes, these numbers prove that.

First, the background is that the original chartering of the WIVA violated state law, which had no provision for a school district performing educational services for students in other districts INCLUDING receiving the state aid of over $5000 per student. After the Supreme Court ruled against WIVA, they begged the legislature for a change in the law, which was granted. The cap was part of the deal to allow WIVA to operate AT ALL.
.
Remember, to begin with, these were operating outside of state law. It is quite generous to permit them to operate under a cap.

Teachers and their union voted for a cap so we don't lose numbers/money in the regular schools. These schools don't say that anything is more important than school, there are many reasons to do schooling via the internet; students move at their own pace and are not waiting or waited for by others, they may be leery of all the bullying, drugs, and sexualized behaviors in our schools,they may want to be involved in other activities that are also enriching...

On line schools are there for people who need or want them! The children are able to get the help they need, not wait for there chance to talk to the teacher. The teacher in the physical schools has students that all want her/him at the same time. The home student can ask online assistance or parents! There is no limitation what a child can do online. The traditional school won't let a student learn to much during the year. They are barely letting kids jump grades any more! Why not let kids keep learning instead of slowing them down in the traditional schools? Not every child is on the same level. Online schools give the kids chances to learn and go beyond. Online schoolers and home schoolers are able to take the time they might need on certain subjects and excel in others! They are both great programs for kids!!

The teachers did not put a cap on enrollment, the government did. I think this is a great alternative for students struggling in a traditional school setting. A high school diploma from a virtual school is definitly better that no high school diploma. Also in Janesville a high school student can still take up to two classes at their home school so they can still stay connected to the high school experience. I think it is a great program.

"there appears to be more interest in online instruction than what's allowed by law"
Yes, let's legislate interest.

Anyone who looks at the advertisements for these schools will see that they are sending the wrong message to the kids. It might be okay to advertise like some online universities do that education is less important than one's job, but no minor should be encouraged to look at their education as secondary to anything, especially a dead-end job.

Getting a well-rounded education through internet schools is like learning to be a doctor by watching "ER".

If the schools are so great, why do the teachers think there should be an enrollment cap? What are they afraid of?