Virtual Schooling in the News

Once again, starting with the Yahoo! news alerts for virtual school.

Opportunities: Elverado HS on Target With Its ‘Virtual School'
Du Quoin Evening Call Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:20 PM PDT

With EHS senior Lee Stewart's decision to 'transfer' to an Olympic training facility in California to hone in on his archery skills, his parents asked the district how their son could make that move but still remain an active student at Elverado High.

Oregon virtual charter school faces loss of funds
KGW Portland Sat, 09 Sep 2006 2:30 PM PDT

PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon virtual charter school which serves hundreds of students is in danger of losing its state funding.

Virginia company dominates burgeoning virtual school business
The Times-News Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:10 PM PDT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- Erik and Suzanne Johnsrud and their 11-year-old twin boys travel a lot - scuba diving in Bonaire, mountain biking in Moab, summers in Oregon, visits to family in Maine - and home-schooling allows the whole family to get away three months out of the year.

Iroquois School to pilot on-line health course
Huron Plainsman Sat, 09 Sep 2006 4:17 PM PDT

BY PLAINSMAN STAFF Students at Iroquois School will be among young people in South Dakota benefiting from an on-line health education curriculum developed with a $44,300 grant from The Wellmark Foundation.

Seattle Times: Hundreds of kids flock to state's new online schools
KING 5 Seattle Mon, 11 Sep 2006 7:24 AM PDT

Two online schools in Washington signed up more students than expected. Insight School hit its limit of 650 high school students and has 1,000 more who expressed interest. The Washington Virtual Academy for elementary students has 652 students and 500 more who have applied.

Company controls virtual schools
Billings Gazette Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:48 PM PDT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Erik and Suzanne Johnsrud and their 11-year-old twin boys travel a lot - scuba diving in Bonaire, mountain biking in Moab, summers in Oregon, visits to family in Maine - and home-schooling allows the whole family to get away three months out of the year.

Hundreds of kids flock to state's new online schools
Seattle Times Mon, 11 Sep 2006 0:14 AM PDT

Washington's two newest online schools didn't know how many students to expect when they announced they would open their virtual doors this...

Schools In The 21st Century
Scoop.co.nz Mon, 11 Sep 2006 4:28 PM PDT

In the future will schools have robotic teachers? Will classrooms only exist in the virtual world? What will the school of the future look like? These are some of the possible questions that teams from four secondary schools hope to raise at the inaugural Our School of the Future Challenge.

'Virtual' schools tap public dollars
Casper Star-Tribune Wed, 13 Sep 2006 1:19 AM PDT

CHEYENNE -- Erik and Suzanne Johnsrud and their 11-year-old twin boys travel a lot -- scuba diving in Bonaire, mountain biking in Moab, summers in Oregon, visits to family in Maine -- and home-schooling allows the whole family to get away three months out of the year.

Virtual school opens in face-to-face session
Chicago Tribune Thu, 14 Sep 2006 3:46 AM PDT

Controversial charter has traditional start Kindergartners Jonathan and Nathan Martin started their first day as virtual students in a most unexpected place--a classroom.

Charter school to keep funding
Albany Democrat-Herald Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:15 PM PDT

SCIO — Oregon Connections Academy, the state’s first virtual charter school, has made adjustments to its regulations and will keep its state funding. Randy Harnisch, the policy adviser for the state superintendent, said he’s reviewed the school’s decisions with the state’s legal counsel.

Charter school alters admission rule
The Oregonian Thu, 14 Sep 2006 0:25 AM PDT

Oregon's largest charter school has agreed to change its illegal admission practices and will continue to receive state funds, the Oregon Department of Education said Wednesday.

E-learning project starts at girls’ school in Wakrah
Gulf Times Thu, 14 Sep 2006 0:28 AM PDT

THE first phase of an e-learning project – eSchoolbag – was launched by ictQATAR (Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology) at Al Wakrah Independent School for Girls yesterday.

'Virtual' schools tap public dollars
Casper Star-Tribune Thu, 14 Sep 2006 1:13 AM PDT

CHEYENNE -- Erik and Suzanne Johnsrud and their 11-year-old twin boys travel a lot -- scuba diving in Bonaire, mountain biking in Moab, summers in Oregon, visits to family in Maine -- and home-schooling allows the whole family to get away three months out of the year.

e-learning benefits from ASB Trust
Scoop.co.nz Thu, 14 Sep 2006 10:27 PM PDT

An e-learning centre at the northernmost primary school in New Zealand is the latest hi-tech Northland project to gain a grant from the ASB Community Trust.

Moving to the Yahoo! news alerts for cyber school.

15 minutes with ... Christina O'Wade
Connellsville Daily Courier - Connellsville,PA,USA

... O'Wade attended Mt. Pleasant Area High School until 2004 when she enrolled with the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. She worked ...

Santorum ad uses his kids to help deflect cyber-school tuition ...
Philadelphia Daily News - Philadelphia,PA,USA

... The Santorums withdrew their children from the Pennsylvania-based cyber school and resumed home-schooling after Penn Hills officials raised questions about the ... [See all stories on this topic]

Uganda: Science Teachers Get Computer Skills
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

CYBER School Technology Solutions, a multinational computer company, has facilitated the government's new science-teaching policy by training secondary school ...

Non-Profit offers online classes for high school students
KTVF Fairbanks Mon, 11 Sep 2006 6:33 PM PDT

Interior students now have another way to earn a high school diploma.

Putting the cyber into learning
The Daily Iowan Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:47 PM PDT

Matthew Bisanz never set foot on the UI campus when he was taking Spanish III during the summer of 2005. A senior at Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y., he took the course through the UI guided independent-study program, which was developed to allow students to take classes without physically being on the university grounds.

School board accepts state settlement
The Times Express Wed, 13 Sep 2006 1:39 PM PDT

Penn Hills School Board on Tuesday approved a $55,000 settlement offered by the state Department of Education regarding cyber charter school tuition paid for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children.

School board accepts $55,000 from state in Santorum tuition flap
phillyburbs.com Wed, 13 Sep 2006 3:14 AM PDT

PENN HILLS, Pa. - A western Pennsylvania school board voted to accept $55,000 from the state to settle a dispute over whether it should have paid tuition for the children of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. to attend a cyber charter school.

Pa. school district accepts money to settle Santorum school flap
WRIC 8 Wed, 13 Sep 2006 9:20 AM PDT

PENN HILLS, Pa. The Penn Hills School District near Pittsburgh accepted 55-thousand-dollars from the state to settle a dispute about whether it should have paid to send Senator Rick Santorum's children to a cyber charter school.

State Pays Penn Hills Schools In Santorum Dispute
WTAE ThePittsburghChannel.com via Yahoo! News Wed, 13 Sep 2006 5:13 AM PDT

The Penn Hills School Board argued that the school district shouldn't have to foot the bill for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children to attend cyber classes.

Santorum tuition OK'd
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Wed, 13 Sep 2006 9:33 AM PDT

The school board last night voted unanimously to accept $55,000 from the state Department of Education to settle a dispute over money withheld from the district to pay for the children of U.S. Senator Rick Santorum to attend a cyber charter school.

Penn Hills accepts state money to settle Santorum school flap
WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg Wed, 13 Sep 2006 2:51 AM PDT

The Penn Hills School District near Pittsburgh accepted 55-thousand-dollars from the state to settle a dispute about whether it should have paid to send U.S. Senator Rick Santorum's children to ...

District Accepts Settlement On Santorum Schooling
KDKA Pittsburgh Tue, 12 Sep 2006 8:57 PM PDT

The Penn Hills School District has reached a compromise with the state over payment for the cyber-school education of Senator Rick Santorum's children.

School board accepts $55,000 from state in Santorum tuition flap
The Morning Call Thu, 14 Sep 2006 1:17 PM PDT

A western Pennsylvania school board has voted to accept $55,000 from the state to settle a dispute over whether it should have paid tuition for the children of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., to attend a cyber charter school.

And from the Google news alert for virtual school

Hundreds of kids flock to state's new online schools
Seattle Times - United States

... Representatives from both new schools have traveled the state to promote their programs, and the Virtual School is planning another round of meetings this ... [See all stories on this topic]

Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School Expands Partnership With ...
Market Wire (press release) - USA

... The Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School is a public virtual school of choice chartered and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2001. ...

Infamous events about to unfold in textbooks
New Philadelphia Times Reporter - New Philadelphia,OH,USA

... 11.” The class is taught by Phil Tidrick, and the videoconference is being hosted by Vanderbilt Virtual School in Nashville, Tenn. ...

Oregon virtual charter school faces loss of funds
OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA

... It has used that policy because the virtual school has not reached its capacity of about 2,000 students, said Thomas, the principal. State Rep. ... [See all stories on this topic]

Virginia company dominates burgeoning virtual school business
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA

... Wyoming stands to become K12's 14th virtual-school state, although much would still need to be resolved, including how a virtual school would fit into the ...

Finally, from e-School News.

Virtual schools again in spotlight
Sep 12 FULL STORY

Another school year, another series of controversies involving virtual schools: In Oregon, a virtual charter school that serves hundreds of students is in danger of losing its state funding, while in...

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