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According to a recent article in the New York Times, online schools are growing, sparking contentious debates in courtrooms and legislatures. The article points out that there are two models of virtual schooling: programs that do not give diplomas but offer course work to supplement traditional schools, and full-time online charter schools.

Educators need to make a distinction between these two models, and as the research becomes clearer about the relative successes or failures of virtual schooling, they should evaluate how, specifically, each model adds value to the current system.

Opponents of online schools argue that students who attend these schools fail to learn how to interact socially. In addition to content knowledge learned from books, attending bricks and mortar schools teach students how to get along with other students. Therefore, virtual schools might all but eliminate “social” education. Another argument involves funding. Opponents argue that funding online schools diverts payments from school districts that are already struggling financially. And given that research about online schooling is unclear, then educators should understand the effectiveness of online schools before they spend money on what might otherwise be used to fix existing problems in the current system.

But much of the opposition against online schooling is directed towards a misunderstood model of virtual schooling. Although it is not clear the effectiveness of full time online schools, state led, state financed virtual schools have been successful. Education Sector, a nonprofit non partisan think tank, states in its report Virtual High Schools and Innovation in Public Education that

Most people think of “cyber” charter schools, schools that are responsible for students’ entire education experience and that students attend full-time, as the primary sponsors of online learning. But in fact these cyberschools serve a small portion of the students learning online.

The fact remains that most online schools supplement traditional education, and these programs often sponsored by school districts and universities are part of, and not an alternative to, the current public education system. The Education Sector report discusses how online schooling supplements a traditional curriculum:

Often, the virtual programs fill curriculum gaps, providing Advanced Placement and other courses that are not available, or courses that help students make up credits for missed or failed classes. And it is these supplemental virtual programs that have the most important lessons to teach public school reformers.

The discussion about the growth of virtual schooling needs to move forward, but how educators, parents and legislators think about virtual schooling, as “independent cyberschool” or as a “supplement to traditional school” will help push the debate towards a practical compromise, one that will improve the existing system. Certainly, to think about online schools in the latter context will advance the progress of serious education reform.

-Michael Armillay

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