Troubled Pennsylvania Cyberschool Bailed Out
from the not-looking-good dept
An online charter school for kids in Pennsylvania who wanted to attend classes over the internet from home seems to have run into some problems. Despite only launching in September, the school had already run out of money, lost their ISP for overdue bills, and been accused of doing a horrible job educating their students. Not the greatest start. The Pennsylvania government, however, is bailing them out with $3.4 million in the hopes that they can turn themselves around. To be honest, I’m not sure I see the value of a cyberschool for K-12 students. I think there’s a lot of value (partly just in learning to socialize) from sending students to an actual school all day.
Comments on “Troubled Pennsylvania Cyberschool Bailed Out”
Value?
Is the value you see the state paid baby-sitting?
Socialization myth
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=436
Re: Socialization myth
That study seems to be somewhat flawed. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that home schooled children score better on exams. First of all, I would imagine that (in general) the families that chose to home school their children generally have parents who are fairly intelligent. Second, the “students”, obviously, would tend to get much more personalized attention. Of course, it’s also amusing that most of the people who home school their kids are the sort of people who say that all these tests are usless anyway…
And, just because they go on a field trip here or there, or play soccer on the weekends, doesn’t mean they’re “socialized”. I’m sure plenty of home schooled kids are fine. However, I think, as you’re growing up, it’s a good thing to spend your days with other kids.
My own personal experience with kids who were homeschooled was that in almost every case they had trouble relating to those of us who went to school. They may have been young Einsteins in training – but they had trouble getting along with people their own age.
It’s a personal opinion. You, of course, are free to raise your kids any way you like.
Re: Re: You can have it both ways
My son went to public schools up through grade12, but he recieved a lot of his education at home. At school he seemed to get more lecture type of instruction, while at home we would discuss things more which seemed to help his history and current event schooling. He also received a lot more computer education at home than he could in his K-12 classes. It is all a matter or balance I suppose.
Have the time to spend with your child is a factor and if both parents work (assuming there is two parents in the home), it would be more difficult to “home school”.
Re: Re: Re: You can have it both ways
Actually, I had meant to say something like this in my original response. I think this is a good method. I’m not saying that parents shouldn’t help their kids learn. In fact, I think it’s an important part of their education.