Online Learning: A Panacea for Rural Schools?

Edutopia News, the weekly electronic newsletter from The George LucasEducational Foundation, appeared in my inbox this week with the main article about virtual high schools (see http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=art_1270&issue=apr_05&d=0330). The essence of the article and, accompanying video, describes how this tenth grade student from a community of 26,600 (small for community in Florida) is the majority of courses through the Florida Virtual School.

The main reason the article caught my attention, above and beyond the fact that it has some good details about students' and teachers' experiences in the Florida Virtual School, is the comment:

Although virtual schools may open doors for young minds, they're not a cure-all for the shortfalls of public education. In fact, the idea that they are a panacea may be one of the few real dangers of online learning.

This is a curious comment, as the article (and those quoted in it) fear that an increase in the availability of online learning opportunities for rural communities will allow policy maker to see that as a substitute for adequately funding rural schools. In a state like I the one that I currently reside in (i.e., Georgia), where a series of the southern rural counties have taken legal action against the state because of inadequate funding (see http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=56646), has recently announced is intentions to create a virtual high school (see http://www.nga.org/center/frontAndCenter/1,1188,C_FRONT_CENTER^D_7680,00.html).

While the timing is curious, I'm afraid I don't believe that the concern is justified. The use of virtual schooling in the K-12 environment began as a way to offer Advanced Placement (and other honors-level) courses to students who were unable to take them in their regular school. This meant students in urban and suburban schools who couldn't fit it into their schedule or wanted to take overload courses as much or more than it meant rural students who didn't have access to these courses due to low enrolment or lack of specially trained teachers.

With the advent and popularity of virtual schools in recent years, I have seen it more as an opportunity for schools (rural or urban) to supplement what is available in their brick and mortar schools. Are there others out there that share the concerns raised in the article? Or are these concerns unwarranted?

Tags: virtual school, cyber school, high school, education