MONROE - Monroe school officials are taking up virtual arms in the fight to keep its virtual school.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown said he plans to testify Wednesday in Madison in favor of legislation sponsored by Rep. Brett Davis that is meant to preserve Monroe's virtual school and 11 others like it around the state. School board president Scott Schmidt is also planning to attend.
Meanwhile, a bill sponsored by Sen. John Lehman that would make it difficult for virtual schools to continue to operate will have a hearing Thursday at the state capitol.
State virtual schools came under attack Dec. 5, when a state appeals court ordered the state to stop funding the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WVA), one of the state's largest virtual schools. Until this ruling, virtual schools received state aid money for students enrolled, regardless of which district in the state the student resides in.
But withdrawing funding would mean a huge financial blow for districts like Monroe. Last year, the virtual school netted $700,000 and was on track to bring in $500,00 to school coffers in 2007, according to Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Virtual schools allow students to complete course requirements over the Internet, under the supervision of their parents. The court said allowing parents to assume the duties of state-licensed teachers violated state law. It went on to say the school was violating a law that requires charter schools to operate within the district that operates them.
Davis' bill seeks to aid Monroe's virtual school by specifying that a person who provides educational services to a virtual school student in the home does not need to be a licensed teacher. It specifies that siting restrictions for charter schools do not apply to virtual charter schools. It also states students may attend a charter school in another district through the open enrollment program.
Lehman's bill, by contrast, would split school funding between the virtual school and the student's home district. It would also require that no more than 85 percent of the students enrolled be from outside the district.
Brown said the 85-15 rule is an arbitrary number.
"We strongly feel it's a parent issue" to decide if a student would benefit from a virtual school, he said.
Lehman's bill also would require full-time students to have direct contact with a teacher for 30 minutes per day.
But this flies in the face of what a virtual school is about, Olson said.
"Part of online education is meeting the needs of students," he said. "Students may be doing school work at different times of the day."
Monroe has also signed an amicus brief, indicating why it believes the Wisconsin Supreme Court should hear the case should WVA file an appeal with the high court. But, Brown said, a supreme court appeal is a lengthy process and the threat to the district's virtual school is immediate.
Other districts are rallying together to fight the threat to virtual schools, Brown said.
"There's a good, organized effort for the most part from all districts that have virtual schools in the state," he said.
Still, the politics involved have been an irritant.
"I have learned since Thursday that having a passion for the kids is a given, so you better learn to play the political game," he said.
The Assembly public hearing on Sen. Brett Davis' bill will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at 412 East in the State Capitol.
The Senate public hearing on Sen. John Lehman's bill be at 10 a.m. Thursday at 411 South in the State Capitol.
Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown said he plans to testify Wednesday in Madison in favor of legislation sponsored by Rep. Brett Davis that is meant to preserve Monroe's virtual school and 11 others like it around the state. School board president Scott Schmidt is also planning to attend.
Meanwhile, a bill sponsored by Sen. John Lehman that would make it difficult for virtual schools to continue to operate will have a hearing Thursday at the state capitol.
State virtual schools came under attack Dec. 5, when a state appeals court ordered the state to stop funding the Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WVA), one of the state's largest virtual schools. Until this ruling, virtual schools received state aid money for students enrolled, regardless of which district in the state the student resides in.
But withdrawing funding would mean a huge financial blow for districts like Monroe. Last year, the virtual school netted $700,000 and was on track to bring in $500,00 to school coffers in 2007, according to Business Administrator Ron Olson.
Virtual schools allow students to complete course requirements over the Internet, under the supervision of their parents. The court said allowing parents to assume the duties of state-licensed teachers violated state law. It went on to say the school was violating a law that requires charter schools to operate within the district that operates them.
Davis' bill seeks to aid Monroe's virtual school by specifying that a person who provides educational services to a virtual school student in the home does not need to be a licensed teacher. It specifies that siting restrictions for charter schools do not apply to virtual charter schools. It also states students may attend a charter school in another district through the open enrollment program.
Lehman's bill, by contrast, would split school funding between the virtual school and the student's home district. It would also require that no more than 85 percent of the students enrolled be from outside the district.
Brown said the 85-15 rule is an arbitrary number.
"We strongly feel it's a parent issue" to decide if a student would benefit from a virtual school, he said.
Lehman's bill also would require full-time students to have direct contact with a teacher for 30 minutes per day.
But this flies in the face of what a virtual school is about, Olson said.
"Part of online education is meeting the needs of students," he said. "Students may be doing school work at different times of the day."
Monroe has also signed an amicus brief, indicating why it believes the Wisconsin Supreme Court should hear the case should WVA file an appeal with the high court. But, Brown said, a supreme court appeal is a lengthy process and the threat to the district's virtual school is immediate.
Other districts are rallying together to fight the threat to virtual schools, Brown said.
"There's a good, organized effort for the most part from all districts that have virtual schools in the state," he said.
Still, the politics involved have been an irritant.
"I have learned since Thursday that having a passion for the kids is a given, so you better learn to play the political game," he said.
The Assembly public hearing on Sen. Brett Davis' bill will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at 412 East in the State Capitol.
The Senate public hearing on Sen. John Lehman's bill be at 10 a.m. Thursday at 411 South in the State Capitol.