WEAC vs WIVA?

I do not agree with WEAC's lawsuit against the Wisconsin Virtual Academy. I'll just say that for starters.

If the Academy is breaking a state educational statute then they should be given a period to fix the problem, and if the problem persists then the school should be shut down. Simple.

However I cannot justify an online learning program as a legitimate education. What are we teaching future generations of students but to sit in front of the computer more and more? Sure the benefits of more individualized attentions from teachers can do wonders for a student. It is just like a private tutor in your home...

But I find that conservatives are using this alternative school system as a shield to hide the true fact that they want education to be cheap. They will promote it however they want but in the end it all boils down to the fact that it is cheaper than running a brick and mortar building.

Say whatever you want about the success of this school, but nothing will ever change the benefits you receive from every day human interaction in a structured environment.

But class sizes are too big in high schools...my student will fall through the cracks!

Well then fix the class size problem! Why are our class sizes rising in the K-12 schools? Because our state funding formula is causing a gap in yearly budgets. This causes either reductions in programs or services or a rise in class size (or in some cases both!)

The thing I find interesting is that residents had no problem with the public school system when it was functioning as it should have been (i.e. before the revenue caps and QEO implemented by Tommy Thompson and the Wisconsin legislature). Because in the times of school growth and prosperity there is nothing to complain about!

Public schools when funded adequately offer;

Small class sizes
Diverse course offerings
Quality educational staff
Clean functioning facilities

...and as a result breed well rounded students!

But we've lost sight of that because we are caught up in the blame game, you know what I'm talking about...

"Well the union this..."
"The union did that..."
"The union is greedy..."
"They don't care about students..."

Enough already! It's time to stop being bitter and resentful and start looking for a way out of this hole we've dug ourselves into! It is time to bring back our former educational prosperity of the early 90's.

I have no problem with alternative education programs...but we need to look carefully at virtual education. To me there is no substitute for the social aspect of a true school, the interaction with peers, the competitions, the dances, the one on one interaction with real teachers in the flesh not just bi-weekly, but every day.

Innovation is good but in this case we should stick to traditional schools.