The Illinois State Board of Education has approved the state's first virtual school, the Chicago Virtual Charter School. The Board acted to complain against the recommendation of the State Superintendent Randy Dunn, the Chicago schools application, as well as against the opposition of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, by a vote of five to four-approval.
Though virtual schools already exist in the United States, they are usually higher schools.However, several countries prohibit virtual charter schools, like Indiana, Tennessee and New York. South Carolina goes one step further, by any domestic education in their charter schools.
The resistance to the new virtual schools, Chicago school arise from a variety of areas. Here are just a few:
• Computers will replace teachers and / or reduce their role in education, the elimination of many teaching positions.
• The one-on-oneAttention, the students can get in a physical classroom, will be lost.
• Virtual students in the Chicago schools are not enough social interaction, stunting their socialization skills.
Proponents believe that the Chicago schools can give a new virtual institution, some children a chance of success where traditional schools have already failed. The State Board Chairman Jesse Ruiz noted that it has many compelling letters from parentsA plea for an alternative approach for the Chicago school children.
Another problem that the state board, given the current Illinois law on charter schools, saying they have "non-home based". It was for this reason that State Superintendent Dunn had recommended the application of the new Chicago schools, are denied. This has more fuel to the argument of the teachers union against the approval of the school.
State members and supporters argue thatThe charter school laws were enacted in the 1990s, before the legislature was the growth of technology, which enables a virtual school can foresee. Chicago schools General Counsel Patrick Rocks told the Council that the restrictions have been home to concerns about charter schools, home schools that will try to reposition themselves as charter schools in order to secure public funding.
Charter schools are part of the Chicago SchoolSystem and get more flexibility in staffing, curriculum and other areas - similar in theory to home schools. You will receive public funding per student, so that the legislators concerned about a possible redefinition of the home after school. Rocks presented by several board members with letters of the legislature, the law was that its declared intention not to block Internet-based training was adopted.
After the vote, Teachers Union President Marilyn Stewart vowed to take "swiftStop and appropriate "action or block the opening of the school. Rocks noted that it is very unlikely that the Union could put a sound legal.
The New Chicago School "virtual institution, opened 13 September 2006. More than 300 families have applied for their children to visit, and the school can accommodate 300 more students, according to Sharon Hayes, head of the school.
Once enrolled, families receive the Chicago school desktop computers,Workbooks and other materials for students. The Chicago School students are required to meet weekly at a downtown Chicago learning center is located at DePaul University. The pupils regularly with teachers through e-mails, conferences and workshops, and interaction with teachers and other students interact in the Learning Center.
Chicago Virtual Charter School has already planned to serve a variety of Chicago elementary school children. Theyinclude gifted and special education students and children, previously in public, private and home schools. Their website is at: www.chicagovcs.org.
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