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MAY 15, 2009 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD
Get the Quarter Back
There is an old joke, with many variations that goes something like this: a foreigner came to visit a friend in America, and they went to watch a Pittsburgh Steelers football game. After the game, his friend asked him how he liked American football, and the foreigner answered said, “Well… it was very exciting, but why was ever
MARCH 16, 2009 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD
Pennsylvania's Charter School Law
Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee, March 12, 2009
JULY 1, 2008 | Commentary by JESSICA RUNK
Cyber School Funding Formula: The Wrong Mixture
State Rep. Karen Beyer, along with the Rendell administration, lobbyists for the teachers unions, and the school boards association, has been doggedly seeking to reduce funding for Pennsylvania’s public cyber schools. So persistent is Beyer that after her bill stalled in session, she attached it as an amendment to a bill (HB 2479) that she
Recent Blog Posts
JULY 23, 2010
Cyber School Rewarded for Its Effectiveness
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has renewed the charter for the state's first cyber charter school to offer all grades K-12. CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta acknowledged this accomplishment:
Charter renewal is great news for the thousands of Pennsylvania families who depend on our school, and a much appreciated validation of the hard work, expertise and dedication of the hundreds of PA Cyber teachers and other employees. Unlike school districts, we charter schools must demonstrate our effectiveness every five years or we cease to operate.
PA Cyber certainly has been effective. The school met all AYP targets for graduation, participation and academic performance under the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment this past school year.
The fact that PDE recognizes the effectiveness of these schools is a good sign for cyber schools around the state. Despite the benefits of cyber schools (American Idol finalist Aaron Kelly is a prime example of the flexibility of charter schools), Pennsylvania legislators, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, and even the National Education Association have attacked the existence of cyber schools.
These cyber schools must be doing something right, or these attacks might have persuaded PDE to refrain from renewing any of their charters. Now if only we could get the Department of Education to apply these same renewal requirements to public school districts. . .
posted by JOSHUA HOERNER | 02:09 PM | 0 comment
APRIL 14, 2010
Cyber School Stardom
Participating in PA Cyber Charter School won't guarantee a student's stardom but it did make it possible for Aaron Kelly, an 2010 American Idol finalist.
Kelly, a 17 year old high school student from Midland, PA, enrolled in cyber school to actively pursue his music career. Cyber schools offer something traditional schools could never provide - flexibility. This flexibility allows Kelly to compete in American Idol while completing his high school diploma.
Nearly 20,000 Pennsylvania students were enrolled in cyber schools last year. Cyber schools provide parents and students with greater school choice and save taxpayers money.
Unfortunately, cyber schools in Pennsylvania receive less than 1% of the state's educational funding, and several bills in consideration by the State House Education Committee would further reduce their funding.
posted by KATRINA CURRIE | 11:55 AM | 0 comment
MARCH 18, 2010
Establishment Continues to Attack Cyber Schools
At a hearing yesterday, Pennsylvania School Boards Association touted additional proposals to cut off funding for cyber charter schools.
One of these proposals would be that cyber schools would not receive funding if their home district had an online program. I see little difference with this proposal and cutting off funding for brick-and-mortar charters if school districts had building - which of course, would end all charter schools.
The second was to not fund any opportunity offered in a cyber school that a district did not offer. As this applies to things like preschool, it makes sense, but a large reason parents are choosing cyber schools for their children is that they have academic offerings traditional schools do not.
The bottom line is that these proposals are intended to cut off competition to the monopoly system. It is hard to explain how students are better served if, instead of 11 options for online education, they have only one (and it is assigned based on their zip code).
Indeed, cyber schools represent a small fraction of school spending, and educate students for much less than school districts spend per pupil. The public school establishment should stop focusing on the one-half of one percent of education dollars going to cyber schools, and instead look at how the other $26 billion is being spent.
posted by NATHAN BENEFIELD | 01:14 PM | 0 comment
