More K-12 schools may be opening virtual doors in Michigan.
The state Senate has approved a measure that would eliminate the cap that allows only two cyber schools to operate in the state.
State Senator Patrick Colbeck says kids are learning more online than ever before.
“There’s kids who can fix computers in third and fourth grade [sic]. They’re the instructors for their parents and their grandparents already, so a lot of them are already learning that stuff online and they’re more in tune with it than [we are]… It’ll help channel kids into more productive pursuits, frankly,” says Colbeck.
Colbeck says thousands of kids are on waiting lists to get into the two cyber schools already in Michigan.
Those who oppose the cyber schools say online teaching should be blended with traditional classroom teaching in brick-and-mortar schools.
State Senator Phil Pavlov says it’s time to allow more cyber schools.
“I think that this idea of trying to limit the cyber opportunities is the wrong direction. I think we open it up, we let the parents and students decide, and the track record that we do have on cybers in terms of course catch-up work is phenomenal, in terms of addressing kids that may have dropped out already or are on a path to drop out,” says Pavlov.
The proposal now heads to the state House.
