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Recently, there have been proposals to revoke the Tennessee Virtual Schools Act passed two years ago.
Tennessee has lagged in funding and supporting technology in our schools for years, but we are one of the leading states when it comes to online and virtual learning. To stop that progress now would be a mistake.
Tennessee does not have a statewide virtual high school, but several districts have opened virtual schools or programs. In Metro Schools, we have the first diploma-granting virtual school in the state. We are one of several state districts that now require students to take at least one online course before graduation. Memphis City and Putnam County schools are doing the same, putting Tennessee among just six states leading college and career readiness with this online requirement.
Online learning opportunities include taking courses not typically offered at a school, recovering credits, dual enrollment with colleges, accelerating graduation or staying in school while also staying home to take care of family members.
Most districts in Tennessee manage their own virtual schools and programs within the district. They do not contract with for-profit vendors to provide services, content or teachers. MNPS Virtual School has a brick-and-mortar building where parents and students can visit to meet with teachers, receive tutoring or meet with friends. We purchase digital content from vendors, just like buying textbooks, but hiring and evaluating teachers, as well as monitoring student progress is conducted internally by the school.
The more direct oversight the district has over the virtual school or program, the greater the likelihood of high-quality content, teacher quality and mechanisms for academic interventions for struggling students. District-run virtual schools are focused solely on yielding high academic success, as opposed to turning a profit.
Public virtual schools have the same accountability standards as brick-and-mortar schools. Under the current system, underperforming virtual schools are at risk of state takeover or even closure. Revoking the Tennessee Virtual Schools Act would actually allow schools to circumvent accountability by operating as virtual programs, not schools, with student achievement results sent to the student’s zoned school. This is not the transparency most desire.
The best solution is to limit online learning to district managed virtual schools and require them to be accountable for full and part-time students. The virtual school will have to make adequate yearly progress under Tennessee’s accountability system or face the consequences. Tennessee has finally made strides in developing college- and career- ready graduates with skills online learning provides. Virtual learning is here to stay.
Kecia Ray is executive director of Learning Technologies for Metro Nashville Public Schools and president-elect of the International Society for Technology in Education.
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