The NEPC conclusion is too simplistic. Is learning from a computer flawed or is the student flawed? Students who lack the ability and initiative to learn independently should probably not be learning from a computer, yet they are allowed to anyway. That sounds like the real problem. Students need to be screened as to whether or not they are qualified to learn independently, with those who don’t qualify sent to a traditional school. The last paragraph in that section of the article seems to confirm this issue. “Of particular concern to critics is the company's emphasis on serving high-risk students who don't have the motivated homeschool parents and support structures needed to make the most of the model. Why would K12 Inc. focus on this population? "It was an explicit business strategy to go after kids who would demand the least from their educational experience, which ultimately yields increased profits for K12 Inc.," explains Huerta.” When you put mediocre, unmotivated students in front of a computer and then blame the computer for their poor results, you have a flawed interpretation of the situation. What this really tells us is that learning should be customized for students and not a one-size-fits-all environment. Let the independent achievers with initiative learn from a computer, if that’s their choice, but put the rest of the students in a traditional classroom.
I am SO sick and tired of hearing Social Security called entitlements. I pray the American people are sick of it as well and make their voices heard at the polls.
We need to tell the President to stop falling into the Republican's trap of calling Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, entitlements. Entitlements refers to charity, and these are anything but charity. EVERY WORKING PERSON in America has paid for these through payroll deductions from every paycheck they have ever earned. The Republicans simply want to take the money from all three of these and use it to end our so called "debt crisis", which is being handled quite nicely without touching any money from Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. All three are completely solvent, and Medicare is the best run health care system in the country. The Republican agenda is nothing more then a war against their fellow citizens, and the last time I checked, the constitution calls this TREASON!
My son is in an on-line K12 high-school and we find it to be a great fit for his personality. He attends two activities at his local high-school, and enjoys being able to focus on academics at home and socializing during electives once school work is done. I think a lot of kids in these programs have learning disabilities so I don't feel the statistics showing kids in these programs perform below public-school kids is fair. I don't like to see tax dollars funding such high salaries of course, but hope there's continued respect for a variety of school choices.
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