I’ve been teaching for Fairfax County Virginia’s Online Campus since 2003.  Online instruction has a lot to offer a certain percentage of students, but it is not for everyone.

I do not agree with Conneticut’s policy of not offering online classes to home-schooled and privately-schooled students.  As far as I can see, these students’ parents are paying property taxes. They are funding the school system and should be able to take classes if they so wish.

To pay taxes to fund the schools but not be able to take classes offered by the schools strikes me as discriminatory.  I think that someone has some explaining to do.

“Private school and home-schooled students can not yet take courses”

Let’s hope that this is merely a transitional issue.

As a family that home schools [in CT], I can tell you that most folks that home school are being warned about State online courses, even if free PCs are offered.  Once parents let the State have any part of their children’s education, they forfeit any control of the curriculum.  Court cases have already established that parents have no rights concerning what is taught by the State.  You have no right to “opt out” of any objectionable material.  In essence, you are giving the State cart blanche to indoctrinate your children with whatever worldview is in vogue at the moment…socialism, sodomy, secular humanism, etc. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s great that the State is going to offer some families an alternative to the wretched failure that our bricks and mortar schools have become.  However, they will still not have much appeal to many that home school.

Here is a link that may provide some insight:
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200202040.asp

I remember when Public TV started as a way to bring education classes to folk in daily life. Somewhere along the way much of it turned into a taxpayer-supported political forum. I am glad such courses are being offered in this venue.

The college I graduated offered remote-on-TV courses.  Fortunately for me it was engineering and math course that still required hours of off-campus study and your assignments were left at the remote teaching office (on-time).  There was two way vocal communication.  And if you didn’t ask some questions you might wind up having to answer a few.  It worked for us who had to work at a 40 hour a week job during the day.  It was not a make-up course and you had to pay the fees - they were refundable by the company I worked for; but no D’s, E’s, or C minus marks were allowed.  Praise God and my family who heped me to earn a B+ average.

My MLIS courses were mostly conducted on-line (which frustrated me as I MOVED here precisely to take the course on campus, and the second semester they announced that all classes would be online!!!!!), but most were perfectly adequate handled this way, classes were in a ‘chat room’ classroom, assignments turned in via e-mail.  We had students in the military stationed in Sweden, Germany, etc. and here in town. 

The most flack came from the in-town students who, like me, came here expecting classroom instruction, and didn’t get it.  But do you know, not one person so far in interviews have asked me if my classes were in person or online!  All that matters is that I have the degree.