Re-instituting Virtual Academy in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The program was a heck of a lot cheaper than sending 1-2 kids to private placement paid for by MCPS due to their not being able to be in regular school. It would pay for itself.

In practice, it doesn't. The same number of kids go into private placement because they're all at capacity. And even with the high cost of private placement, it would take a lot of students to offset the high cost of MVA.

Private placement is astronomically more expensive than MVA.

MCPS saved $5 million from the closure of the MVA. I'm sure there are cases for individual students where the alternative to the MVA was more expensive for MCPS than maintaining the virtual program, but at the end of the day MCPS is saving money from the closure (see: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/fnotes/bil_0003/hb0583.pdf)

And, they spent several million on the new program, lots more for special placements for some kids plus the few hundred who left MCPS. They saved nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

This isn't how public education works. If you want a handpicked educational program, you can pay for it. This kind of entitlement is part of the reason MVA parents could never convince the public to support their program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

Welcome to public school. If you want to decide for yourself without justification, then you can pay for it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The program was a heck of a lot cheaper than sending 1-2 kids to private placement paid for by MCPS due to their not being able to be in regular school. It would pay for itself.

In practice, it doesn't. The same number of kids go into private placement because they're all at capacity. And even with the high cost of private placement, it would take a lot of students to offset the high cost of MVA.

Private placement is astronomically more expensive than MVA.

MCPS saved $5 million from the closure of the MVA. I'm sure there are cases for individual students where the alternative to the MVA was more expensive for MCPS than maintaining the virtual program, but at the end of the day MCPS is saving money from the closure (see: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/fnotes/bil_0003/hb0583.pdf)

And, they spent several million on the new program, lots more for special placements for some kids plus the few hundred who left MCPS. They saved nothing.

Citation/evidence please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

+1 there were even some secondary classes with that few students, now those teachers are back in schools serving more students for the same pay. It was absolutely cost saving to close the MVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

Exactly- you can decide to enroll your child in an existing virtual program and pay for it yourself. Same decision many parents have made if the public school isn’t their desire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

This isn't how public education works. If you want a handpicked educational program, you can pay for it. This kind of entitlement is part of the reason MVA parents could never convince the public to support their program.

Actually it is given the lottery and magnet programs we have. By your logic ewe should cut them all.

Why do you care? Each child gets funding. MCPS lost a lot of funding with students leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

Exactly- you can decide to enroll your child in an existing virtual program and pay for it yourself. Same decision many parents have made if the public school isn’t their desire.

No, that’s not how it works. Kids are entitled to a free education and not all can go in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

+1 there were even some secondary classes with that few students, now those teachers are back in schools serving more students for the same pay. It was absolutely cost saving to close the MVA.

We have had one of these teachers this year, and she is a rock star!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

Exactly- you can decide to enroll your child in an existing virtual program and pay for it yourself. Same decision many parents have made if the public school isn’t their desire.

No, that’s not how it works. Kids are entitled to a free education and not all can go in person.

There are free programs available for those who truly cannot attend in-person schools. For those who have parents that are anxious about school violence, bullying or other issues that many other kids face without demanding a separate option, then yes, this is how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

This isn't how public education works. If you want a handpicked educational program, you can pay for it. This kind of entitlement is part of the reason MVA parents could never convince the public to support their program.

Actually it is given the lottery and magnet programs we have. By your logic ewe should cut them all.

Why do you care? Each child gets funding. MCPS lost a lot of funding with students leaving.

You keep saying this, but: A) have not provided any "proof" of drop in enrollment due to the end of MVA; and 2) Have not in any way demonstrated that any revenue lost due to per pupil allocation exceeded that $5m that MCPS was spending on MVA infrastructure, administration, and staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MD should create a virtual academy for the entire state.

I agree with this. I have no issue with a virtual academy in principle. I can easily accept that different kids have different needs and excel in different environments. But it seems it would be much more cost effective and offer more educational opportunities to student if this was administered on a larger, statewide scale.

+1, should be a statewide program

Exactly. If virtual programs were properly limited to only students who legitimately could not attend school in-person, attempting to operate them at a district level would never work.

Even with MCPS's free-for-all approach we only had 10 kids in some elementary school classes.

Parents should decide. Mot strangers who know nothing about the kids.

Exactly- you can decide to enroll your child in an existing virtual program and pay for it yourself. Same decision many parents have made if the public school isn’t their desire.

No, that’s not how it works. Kids are entitled to a free education and not all can go in person.

And there are limited programs for students that truly cannot go in-person to school, which tend to overlap with situations where students cannot go reliably make a fixed class schedule and will need more flexible arrangements.

But you've been trying to say anyone that doesn't *want* to go to school should have a free alternative, even if they could go to school. Students and parents aren't entitled to that.

[Anonymous]

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

[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?

+1,000
Unfreaking believable