I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. - Chris Christie, "An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ" October, 2009

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Gabby Douglas: No Virtual Charter Needed

Big, big props to Gabby Douglas for bringing back the gold to the US of A!

I'd like to point out that Gabby is home schooled by a different family than her own. Such is the way of the olympian, a life few families will ever understand.

Chris Cerf says we need virtual charter schools to serve kids like Gabby. Well, she seems to have done just fine without K12 Inc's help, thank you. The fact is that kids like Gabby are very, very rare - that's why they get gold medals.

We are in awe of Gabby Douglas tonight because she is so special. Using her as a justification for on-line charter schools is beyond idiotic; those few wonderful kids who will compete at the Olympics do not need corporate vultures to help them make their dreams come true.

4 comments:

Deb said...

And we have lots of Olympians in training in the kindergarten classes K12 will be running, right? The amazing thing to me is that we are either so weary or jaded that when he makes absurd statements as he did in his nomination hearing, he is not laughed out of the room by those we elect to represent us.

And by the way I hear when the charter regulatory changes were voted on by the NJ BOE yesterday there were some snide comments made by Board members (and perhaps Cerf too?) about the comments in opposition being made by 'special interests'. Since when is caring about the students over profit a special interest versus Broad's agenda?.

Lindz said...

Gabby attended Virginia Virtual Academy in middle school when she lived in Virginia Beach.

Duke said...

Lindz, it doesn't appear that VAVA is a virtual CHARTER - it's a state-wide program:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-schools-insider/post/will-virginias-first-virtual-school-report-separate-test-results/2011/11/28/gIQAOc7a8N_blog.html

I also cab't find any confirmation Douglas attended. Not saying she didn't; I just can't confirm it.

I'm sure we'll be learning a lot more about this girl soon, so maybe we'll get a confirmation then.

James said...

Virginia Virtual Academy is a statewide online public school operated by K12. The only difference is that it is governed by a district school board instead of a charter school board. And Gabby did attend VAVA the first year the school program opened, before she moved to Iowa. The point is Gabby chose a K12 online public school. She couldn't continue with K12 when she moved to Iowa because at that time Iowa did not have full time online public schools. Now Iowa does, and one of the options is a school using K12. Iowa joins 30 other states. This is good news for more kids -- including aspiring Olympians -- who now have more flexible school options instead of only a one-size-fits all system.