Re-instituting Virtual Academy in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Virtual school is terrible for all kids except those very few who need to be there legitimately due to actual health reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine, if they want that, then the state can fund one statewide for everyone. So tone deaf and pandering to special interests to be demanding this now when they can't fund their own Blueprint and there's huge federal funding cuts and uncertainties. How can they possibly think that tiny districts like Somerset or Kent have critical mass to make this worth the outlay?

Exactly. I’m sure it does benefit some kids but it needs to be a statewide thing to make fiscal sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Virtual school is terrible for all kids except those very few who need to be there legitimately due to actual health reasons.

What experience do you have with the MVA? Our experience was academically it was and is far better than in person. It takes really strong teachers and involved parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary school done virtually makes no sense. What a waste of money!

One statewide would be great for kids with health issues.

The state cannot even remotely afford it. That's why they are demanding the counties do it, by the state is also looking to pass on a bunch of other costs to the counties. No, the money is not there. It borders on cruel to give these families hope in this fiscal environment. What a couple of POSs these lawmakers are.

The issue is not about the state affording it. They only license programs, not run them. They’d have to contract it out like Virginia does. The state should not be involved except to license the schools.

They are good people. You should try being a good person and understanding others needs are different from your wants. It’s cruel not to offer it when it’s an easy thing to do. You are cruel.

You sound really ignorant and entitled. Everything costs money. Virginia's.program costs money. Sounds like you want people to work for free.

What are you talking about? Someone is pushing the state option. They will not say what it should look like or who will pay for it. MCPS has the funds and needs to pay for it. We are in 2025, not in 1925 but even then they had a form of it at times.

In hs, kids have to be bussed to other schools for classes. Virtual would be cheaper and give kids the classes they need.

The people who convinced delegates Vogel and Miller to write the new law are pretty much all from MoCo. They want MCPS to reinstitute the virtual academy and aren’t interested in a state-wide option. If you take a look at the families who Delegates Vogel and Miller invited to testify when the Bill went to committee last week, they’re pretty much all MoCo interests. Having struck out with the MCPS BOE, this was a way for these supporters to pull a different lever to bring back the MVA. If the delegates were serious about providing the best and most cost-efficient virtual option for all of Maryland’s learners, they of course would have put the work in to assess a state-wide option. But the goal was a much more localized and focused one - MoCo families want their MoCo run virtual option back and found 2 delegates who were open to creating an unfunded mandate on the county to do so.

17 out of 23 Maryland school districts operate a virtual academy. MCPS is by far the most high profile district that does not and is the locus of the most ardent and the loudest supporters of the MVA.

You keep talking about a state option but have no clear answers on how that would work. Who would run it? Who would pay for it? What would it look like? How would it compare to the MVA? If 17 districts have it, why doesn’t MCPS?

All good questions that delegates Vogel and Miller should have investigated rather than writing a bill to jam an unfunded mandate down the throats of MCPS families whose elected representatives at the BOE just voted to terminate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine, if they want that, then the state can fund one statewide for everyone. So tone deaf and pandering to special interests to be demanding this now when they can't fund their own Blueprint and there's huge federal funding cuts and uncertainties. How can they possibly think that tiny districts like Somerset or Kent have critical mass to make this worth the outlay?

Exactly. I’m sure it does benefit some kids but it needs to be a statewide thing to make fiscal sense.

Ok, fine, state is best. What does that look like? Who runs it? Who pays for it? You say a state option is best, so please share why it’s best over the MVA and your experience with the MVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary school done virtually makes no sense. What a waste of money!

One statewide would be great for kids with health issues.

The state cannot even remotely afford it. That's why they are demanding the counties do it, by the state is also looking to pass on a bunch of other costs to the counties. No, the money is not there. It borders on cruel to give these families hope in this fiscal environment. What a couple of POSs these lawmakers are.

The issue is not about the state affording it. They only license programs, not run them. They’d have to contract it out like Virginia does. The state should not be involved except to license the schools.

They are good people. You should try being a good person and understanding others needs are different from your wants. It’s cruel not to offer it when it’s an easy thing to do. You are cruel.

You sound really ignorant and entitled. Everything costs money. Virginia's.program costs money. Sounds like you want people to work for free.

What are you talking about? Someone is pushing the state option. They will not say what it should look like or who will pay for it. MCPS has the funds and needs to pay for it. We are in 2025, not in 1925 but even then they had a form of it at times.

In hs, kids have to be bussed to other schools for classes. Virtual would be cheaper and give kids the classes they need.

The people who convinced delegates Vogel and Miller to write the new law are pretty much all from MoCo. They want MCPS to reinstitute the virtual academy and aren’t interested in a state-wide option. If you take a look at the families who Delegates Vogel and Miller invited to testify when the Bill went to committee last week, they’re pretty much all MoCo interests. Having struck out with the MCPS BOE, this was a way for these supporters to pull a different lever to bring back the MVA. If the delegates were serious about providing the best and most cost-efficient virtual option for all of Maryland’s learners, they of course would have put the work in to assess a state-wide option. But the goal was a much more localized and focused one - MoCo families want their MoCo run virtual option back and found 2 delegates who were open to creating an unfunded mandate on the county to do so.

17 out of 23 Maryland school districts operate a virtual academy. MCPS is by far the most high profile district that does not and is the locus of the most ardent and the loudest supporters of the MVA.

You keep talking about a state option but have no clear answers on how that would work. Who would run it? Who would pay for it? What would it look like? How would it compare to the MVA? If 17 districts have it, why doesn’t MCPS?

All good questions that delegates Vogel and Miller should have investigated rather than writing a bill to jam an unfunded mandate down the throats of MCPS families whose elected representatives at the BOE just voted to terminate.

No one is forcing families into virtual. I am asking you as you are pushing the state option. BOE misspent and to deflect from their poor management they cut the MVA, an autism program, early education programs and a trade program, just to name a few. They should be removed from their positions given their mismanagement which it the bigger issue.

Do the math, a state option will cost more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine, if they want that, then the state can fund one statewide for everyone. So tone deaf and pandering to special interests to be demanding this now when they can't fund their own Blueprint and there's huge federal funding cuts and uncertainties. How can they possibly think that tiny districts like Somerset or Kent have critical mass to make this worth the outlay?

Exactly. I’m sure it does benefit some kids but it needs to be a statewide thing to make fiscal sense.

Ok, fine, state is best. What does that look like? Who runs it? Who pays for it? You say a state option is best, so please share why it’s best over the MVA and your experience with the MVA.

It doesn’t need to be the best over the MVA. Why is the MCA the standard? That program is terminated and no longer relevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary school done virtually makes no sense. What a waste of money!

One statewide would be great for kids with health issues.

The state cannot even remotely afford it. That's why they are demanding the counties do it, by the state is also looking to pass on a bunch of other costs to the counties. No, the money is not there. It borders on cruel to give these families hope in this fiscal environment. What a couple of POSs these lawmakers are.

The issue is not about the state affording it. They only license programs, not run them. They’d have to contract it out like Virginia does. The state should not be involved except to license the schools.

They are good people. You should try being a good person and understanding others needs are different from your wants. It’s cruel not to offer it when it’s an easy thing to do. You are cruel.

You sound really ignorant and entitled. Everything costs money. Virginia's.program costs money. Sounds like you want people to work for free.

What are you talking about? Someone is pushing the state option. They will not say what it should look like or who will pay for it. MCPS has the funds and needs to pay for it. We are in 2025, not in 1925 but even then they had a form of it at times.

In hs, kids have to be bussed to other schools for classes. Virtual would be cheaper and give kids the classes they need.

MCPS doesn't have the funds and they don't need to pay for it. You want them to cut other programs in order to fund your anxiety-driven pet project.

And as the legislative analysts said, it isn't cheaper for districts to add a virtual program. That should have been obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary school done virtually makes no sense. What a waste of money!

One statewide would be great for kids with health issues.

The state cannot even remotely afford it. That's why they are demanding the counties do it, by the state is also looking to pass on a bunch of other costs to the counties. No, the money is not there. It borders on cruel to give these families hope in this fiscal environment. What a couple of POSs these lawmakers are.

The issue is not about the state affording it. They only license programs, not run them. They’d have to contract it out like Virginia does. The state should not be involved except to license the schools.

They are good people. You should try being a good person and understanding others needs are different from your wants. It’s cruel not to offer it when it’s an easy thing to do. You are cruel.

You sound really ignorant and entitled. Everything costs money. Virginia's.program costs money. Sounds like you want people to work for free.

What are you talking about? Someone is pushing the state option. They will not say what it should look like or who will pay for it. MCPS has the funds and needs to pay for it. We are in 2025, not in 1925 but even then they had a form of it at times.

In hs, kids have to be bussed to other schools for classes. Virtual would be cheaper and give kids the classes they need.

The people who convinced delegates Vogel and Miller to write the new law are pretty much all from MoCo. They want MCPS to reinstitute the virtual academy and aren’t interested in a state-wide option. If you take a look at the families who Delegates Vogel and Miller invited to testify when the Bill went to committee last week, they’re pretty much all MoCo interests. Having struck out with the MCPS BOE, this was a way for these supporters to pull a different lever to bring back the MVA. If the delegates were serious about providing the best and most cost-efficient virtual option for all of Maryland’s learners, they of course would have put the work in to assess a state-wide option. But the goal was a much more localized and focused one - MoCo families want their MoCo run virtual option back and found 2 delegates who were open to creating an unfunded mandate on the county to do so.

17 out of 23 Maryland school districts operate a virtual academy. MCPS is by far the most high profile district that does not and is the locus of the most ardent and the loudest supporters of the MVA.

You keep talking about a state option but have no clear answers on how that would work. Who would run it? Who would pay for it? What would it look like? How would it compare to the MVA? If 17 districts have it, why doesn’t MCPS?

All good questions that delegates Vogel and Miller should have investigated rather than writing a bill to jam an unfunded mandate down the throats of MCPS families whose elected representatives at the BOE just voted to terminate.

No one is forcing families into virtual. I am asking you as you are pushing the state option. BOE misspent and to deflect from their poor management they cut the MVA, an autism program, early education programs and a trade program, just to name a few. They should be removed from their positions given their mismanagement which it the bigger issue.

Do the math, a state option will cost more.

I think most incumbents lost in the November election, so they're all on their way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Elementary school done virtually makes no sense. What a waste of money!

One statewide would be great for kids with health issues.

The state cannot even remotely afford it. That's why they are demanding the counties do it, by the state is also looking to pass on a bunch of other costs to the counties. No, the money is not there. It borders on cruel to give these families hope in this fiscal environment. What a couple of POSs these lawmakers are.

The issue is not about the state affording it. They only license programs, not run them. They’d have to contract it out like Virginia does. The state should not be involved except to license the schools.

They are good people. You should try being a good person and understanding others needs are different from your wants. It’s cruel not to offer it when it’s an easy thing to do. You are cruel.

You sound really ignorant and entitled. Everything costs money. Virginia's.program costs money. Sounds like you want people to work for free.

What are you talking about? Someone is pushing the state option. They will not say what it should look like or who will pay for it. MCPS has the funds and needs to pay for it. We are in 2025, not in 1925 but even then they had a form of it at times.

In hs, kids have to be bussed to other schools for classes. Virtual would be cheaper and give kids the classes they need.

The people who convinced delegates Vogel and Miller to write the new law are pretty much all from MoCo. They want MCPS to reinstitute the virtual academy and aren’t interested in a state-wide option. If you take a look at the families who Delegates Vogel and Miller invited to testify when the Bill went to committee last week, they’re pretty much all MoCo interests. Having struck out with the MCPS BOE, this was a way for these supporters to pull a different lever to bring back the MVA. If the delegates were serious about providing the best and most cost-efficient virtual option for all of Maryland’s learners, they of course would have put the work in to assess a state-wide option. But the goal was a much more localized and focused one - MoCo families want their MoCo run virtual option back and found 2 delegates who were open to creating an unfunded mandate on the county to do so.

17 out of 23 Maryland school districts operate a virtual academy. MCPS is by far the most high profile district that does not and is the locus of the most ardent and the loudest supporters of the MVA.

You keep talking about a state option but have no clear answers on how that would work. Who would run it? Who would pay for it? What would it look like? How would it compare to the MVA? If 17 districts have it, why doesn’t MCPS?

All good questions that delegates Vogel and Miller should have investigated rather than writing a bill to jam an unfunded mandate down the throats of MCPS families whose elected representatives at the BOE just voted to terminate.

No one is forcing families into virtual. I am asking you as you are pushing the state option. BOE misspent and to deflect from their poor management they cut the MVA, an autism program, early education programs and a trade program, just to name a few. They should be removed from their positions given their mismanagement which it the bigger issue.

Do the math, a state option will cost more.

Not when you add up all costs across the state.

K12/Stride gets on average $7800 of revenue per pupil in their managed public school programs. If MSDE contracted with K12, they could add in their own overhead for overseeing the program and pass the cost on to local districts still below average per-pupil costs for the district. This would make it practical to operate the virtual school while
limiting enrollment to only those students with a demonstrated medical need.

This is a win-win-win for the state, school districts, and students. It could be revenue neutral for the state. Districts would save money because paying tuition for only the students who need virtual would be significantly less than operating larger programs that include students at parents' convenience. And the larger scale of the program would facilitate stronger and broader class offerings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Virtual school is terrible for all kids except those very few who need to be there legitimately due to actual health reasons.

What experience do you have with the MVA? Our experience was academically it was and is far better than in person. It takes really strong teachers and involved parents.

Glad those strong teachers are in person now serving many more students for the same cost.