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Back to the Future: Virtual K-8 Schools

October 11, 2019 - 3 minute read


Hands over a Macbook

"Thanks to online education, virtual schools are taking off in the United States. Though many parents have yet to hear about online K through 12 education, virtual public schools are a reality in the majority of states," writes Christina Tynan-Wood in her article titled “The Reality of Virtual Schools.” 

Growth Mindset: After serving as a principal of five different traditional public schools for 25 years, I hopped in my Delorean with a growth mindset, like Marty McFly from the 1985 Back to the Future, and am now the principal of a virtual K-8 public school. To flourish as a public school administrator over the coming years, one will need to have a growth mindset for virtual K-8 schools and not a fixed mindset like Biff Tannen, the main antagonist in Back to the Future. According to Stanford University psychologist and Growth Mindset (2006) author Carol Dweck, having a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of education, business, and sports. 

For anyone new to the concept of virtual K-8 public schools, here are the basics:

Flexibility for Families & Students: There will always be a need for traditional public schools that begin and end at a specific time each day. However, the future of public education is giving families and students the flexibility that virtual public schools have to offer while being monitored by credentialed teachers and administrators. Public school districts realize that families are changing and so are the learning needs of students. Many California parents work online throughout the United States and all over the world, which means that students can learn anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection. One of the advantages of online learning is that families and students can flex their time around activities or interests.

100% vs Dual Enrolled: Public elementary and middle school students have the option of being enrolled 100% online or can be dual enrolled at both their neighborhood school and public virtual school. For example, a middle school student can take two subjects at their home school and the remaining courses through a virtual school. 

Neighborhood School Connection: Both dual-enrolled students and students who are enrolled 100% in a virtual school have the opportunity to participate in school functions at their neighborhood school, pending administrative approval. Some examples are music and art programs for elementary school students and school dances for middle school students.

Independent Study: As per Ed. Code, parents who enroll their child in a public virtual school must sign a master agreement to indicate they are choosing to have their child be on an independent study contract voluntarily. Families always have the option to choose to return to their neighborhood school.

Attendance vs Completion of Work: Virtual public schools do not take attendance like traditional schools. Virtual schools base the success and achievement of students on their completion of work. Students spend approximately one-hour per subject per day online. A credentialed public school advisement teacher is assigned to each student who monitors their screen time and academic progress with online programs, eNotes, scores on quizzes and tests, and the submission of assignments five days per week. All students are required to turn in assigned school work once a month, from September through June.

Optional Programs for Virtual Students: There is typically a physical building for K-8 public virtual schools that can include a computer lab, a science lab, and classrooms for optional workshops in all subject areas that are taught by teachers. Additionally, teachers are on-site and available during the school day to assist students, as needed.

High School Virtual Programs: As an option for students after the 8th grade, many districts offer independent study high school that has the benefits and flexibility of a virtual curriculum blended with face-to-face instruction and highly qualified credentialed teachers.

Instead of thinking outside the box, we need to think outside the school. As Emmett "Doc" Brown said to Marty McFly at the end of Back to the Future, “Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.”

The author, Curt Visca, is an Adjunct Professor at Concordia University Irvine and a principal for one of the largest districts in California.

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