On the Radar
Virtual schools in Wisconsin to remain open
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by Associated Press
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
An
agreement to keep public virtual charter schools operating in Wisconsin
has been worked out and should be approved by the end of the week, a
lawmaker announced Monday night. Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said
the deal was hammered out during talks last week and over the weekend
in an effort to keep the online schools available for the families who
have their children in them. About a dozen virtual schools with
about 3,400 students have faced the prospect of closing after a
December appeals court ruling said the largest one was in violation of
state laws, raising the possibility that all would be shut down. The
Republican-controlled Assembly had approved a bill to bring the schools
in compliance with several state laws while allowing them to keep
growing rapidly. But the Democratic-controlled Senate included a
two-year enrollment freeze in the bill it passed. Davis said the
compromise allows the schools to increase to a permanent cap of 5,250
students, not counting siblings who are guaranteed the opportunity to
enroll. He said it retains elements creating clear authorization
for operating the schools and also creating new accountability measures. Davis
and Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, who head the Legislature’s education
committees, released a joint statement saying they had assurances from
Gov. Jim Doyle, the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader
that they will fully support the compromise. “Therefore we expect the bill will pass both houses this week and will be signed into law very soon,” they said. Davis said the Assembly would take up the measure Tuesday. The
appeals court had ruled that the state’s largest virtual school was
operating in violation of open-enrollment, charter school and teacher
licensing laws. The same logic could be applied to the others. Supporters
begged lawmakers to keep them open, saying they are vital for students
who do not learn well in traditional schools and for parents who want
to educate children from home.
