Cyber schools and other alternatives to traditional home education:
Is this what we really want?
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Hologram Homeschooling Many home educators are up in arms over on-line charter school brochures that have recently ended up in their mailboxes. The marketing of this latest innovative combination of school choice and entrepreneurism brings confusion to the camp of home educators and parents considering alternative education but who are not familiar with home education. The name “hologram homeschooling” came to me one afternoon while I sought the Lord in prayer, frustrated over how closely virtual charter schools imitate home education, yet in substance and application, they are so very different. Like a hologram, which is a laser-produced, three-dimensional image, virtual schools appear to be one and the same as home education. After all, isn’t it education at home? But unlike parent-delivered home education, the hologram of a virtual charter school is produced by a laser beam that takes an indirect, deviated path to create its final image. The confusion of virtual charter schools comes when the words “home education” and “school” are used, almost interchangeably. But like a hologram, the resulting image is not the real thing. Let us take a closer look at this hologram homeschooling and reveal the parts that make it up by retracing the laser beams.  In the illustration above, the laser beam is split. The beam on the right goes directly to the Standard and then to the image receiving plate. The beam on the left goes first to a mirror, and then to the real object. It then reflects the object’s image onto the plate. It is when the two light patterns, that of the Standard and the Object, converge that the hologram or 3-D image is created.  In the illustration above, the delivery of instruction is split. Government directed schooling is run through the Educational Standard and then delivered to the Student. The Instruction Delivery Split interrupts parent directed instruction and therefore only delivers the image of Home Education, not real home education, thus the broken line. These differences can be better understood by the following comparison:
To add to the confusion that virtual charter schools bring, some of them use curriculum that is also sold independently to individuals through private companies. These curriculum providers typically market their product to home educators. The application of the curriculum is virtually the same as through the virtual charter school, i.e. sign in for the day, get lesson assignments, and take assessments on-line. However, the parent pays for the same curriculum that is made available through a government school. Perhaps a sense of privacy might be an incentive for a parent to choose such a curriculum program independent of a virtual charter school. Yet, one must realize that because the program is on-line the student’s attendance, progress, and assessments are kept by the company. Record Keeping: The company must have a database designed to accommodate the curriculum, its application, and record keeping. The private company’s data base used for record keeping of curriculum programs sold to individuals will most likely resemble the data base used by the State when the same curriculum is administered through the virtual charter school. Curriculum Content: Curriculum that is sold to State charter schools must meet the State’s graduation standards. This means that all the MN Profile of Learning content standards must be incorporated into the on-line curriculum. It also means that any student registered with an on-line school must take the MN Basic Skills Test in order to meet MN graduation requirements. For cost purposes, a private company is unlikely to create one set of curriculum that sells to private individuals and another set of curriculum that sells to state governments. Therefore, the curriculum content is essentially the same in both situations. This should be seriously considered if parents value incorporating traditional Judeo-Christian values in their child’s education. Will the science curriculum teach Creationism? Will the history curriculum be accurate, let alone reflect the strong Christian heritage of our country? Money and Strings: Essentially the same program is offered to the same individuals through two different vehicles. One delivery method is paid for by the individual and the other is paid for by the State. When the cost of using the program as an individual is considered against having the curriculum and computer provided for by the State, the sacrifice for independence becomes burdensome. As more parents become disillusioned with public education and join the ranks of home schooling, we will see increasing innovation in the arena of education. When the slick and glossy marketing brochures find their way into your mailbox, take a step back, say a prayer, and ask yourself, “Is this the real thing, or is it just the reflection of an image?” Back to News/Updates Copyright 2003, MACHE Please contact us at: MACHE, PO Box 32308, Fridley, MN 55432; Metro area: 763-717-9070 Greater MN (toll-free): 866-717-9070 Email: info@mache.org |
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