Schools

Virtual Charter School Proposal Lacks Proof of Success: Valley View School Board Member

Officials from K12 and Virtual Learning Solutions addressed the Valley View School District 365U school board Wednesday night.

Will K12 Inc. and Virtual Learning Solutions open a virtual charter school for 18 area K-12 districts, including Valley View? 

It doesn't seem likely, after K12 Inc. officials exasperated school board members of Valley View, Oswego and Plainfield, failing "to instill confidence" in the company and showing a lack of proof and "evidence of value." To open the virtual charter school, all 18 school districts -- which K12, Inc. chose -- will need to approve the measure. 

K12 officials said they hope to start the virtual charter school with 1,000 students, 14 K-8 teachers, eight high school, five special education teachers and three counselors. 

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If the virtual charter opened, K12 anticipates it would draw $8,000 per student from state funds that would otherwise go to the school districts. 

For hours, Valley View school board members asked K12 officials for evidence that their virtual charter school provided a quality education for the students enrolled.

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'Increased profits while student performance has suffered'

K12 is a $864 million publicly traded company whose stock price more than doubled in the last year, according to State Impact (a reporting project of Florida media and NPR). 

"In recent years, K12 has increased profits while student performance has suffered, raising questions about whether the for-profit virtual schools provider is making money at the expense of academics," State Impact reported.

Several states have serious concerns with the company.

(Quotes are from State Impact.) 

Blaming the students is "unacceptable" 

K12 touted its research-based curriculum, its almost 500 high school course offerings and individualized attention for its students.

Valley View school board member Rich Gougis was quick to ask about their low graduation rates and test scores. Gougis pointed to a graduation rate of 30 percent in one K12 virtual charter school. None of the virtual charter schools have ever made AYP. 

K12 officials said they have a "much larger percentage of students coming to us behind schedule." Their students make "continuous improvement." Students who use K12 are more at-risk, officials said.

If a student comes to K12 two grade levels behind and makes a year's worth of progress, that's improvement, officials. Students graduate from their high school program, but in five years, not four years. 

Valley View officials refuted the excuse.

"When students are coming to us two or three student levels behind, isn't it your job if you can't meet their needs?" Gougis said.

Superintendent James Mitchem told one K12 official she had continually blamed the students for their lack of improvement. Blaming the students is "unacceptable" in Valley View, he said. 

"'It's the kids we get' is not an acceptable answer," Mitchem said. 

Board member Leo Venegas said K12 lacked proof of the success it had touted. 

"You want us to go to our community and ask to invest in your company without any evidence of value," Venegas said. "You come to a public hearing and tell us that here’s all this great stuff happening with your organization, a public company, and nothing to back it up and no proof."

The business model 

K12 currently operates several virtual schools, including in Ohio, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia and Chicago. Virtual Learning Solutions, the non-profit hoping to launch the virtual charter school, would use for-profit K12 as its vendor.

Board president Steven Quigley said he was concerned that K12's board of directors include CEO's and businessmen, not educators. The board includes the chief executive officer and president of XM Satellite Radio, a retired chairman and CEO of Intel Corporation and a former director of Pan American Bank. 

The board also includes a former president of the National Education Association and the board chairman of Leapfrog, Inc. (also the chief executive officer of a private equity investment firm). 

Gougis asked how K12 would keep its stockholders happy and it would make the $20 million in cuts it recently announced. 

K12 officials said the company has continued to reinvest in itself and grow. 

READ MORE: 

  • UPDATE: Charter School Controversy: K12 Disputes Reports of Grade Tampering
  • Letter: Ask Your School Board to 'Vote No' Against Online Charter School
  • Letter: Forums Put K12 Virtual Charter School in False Light


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