Virtual learning oversight: ‘Riding a donkey into the space age’ | Education - NonDoc

Earlier this month, I met with three administrators at the Oklahoma State Department of Education  who have been wrestling with accountability issues for virtual and blended schools, especially for-profit charters like Epic Charter Schools, notes Dr. John Thompson, award-winning historian.

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister conducts an interview with KFOR on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019.
Photo: Tres Savage

As spokesperson Steffie Corcoran told me, devising oversight systems for these schools is complex because “there is a physical world and a virtual world.”

The OSDE has earned a reputation for professionalism, but changes in education models are outpacing legislation and policy. In terms of monitoring a rapidly emerging landscape of online instruction, Deputy Superintendent Monty Guthrie said, “We’re riding a donkey into the space age.”...

Online learning is not going away, nor should it. To minimize the harm that can be done in the virtual world, we should thoughtfully build on what has worked in brick and mortar schools while ensuring meaningful oversight.
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Source: NonDoc