What the future holds for the virtual schools, and others that might follow, isn’t clear. Researchers at the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder issued a report in May that likens the policy-making surrounding virtual public schools to the Wild West.
“There are outsized claims, intense conflicts, lots of taxpayer money at stake and very little solid evidence to justify the rapid expansion of virtual education,” the NEPC report says.
Western Michigan University professor Gary Miron, one of the study’s authors, said virtual schools are “two to three years ahead of the legislators.” He said many states haven’t crafted laws governing issues specific to virtual schools, such as tracking how much time students spend learning.
Armstrong, from Hoosier Academies, says the school cares about its students.
“I will be the first to state that virtual education, at this point, is not for everybody,” she said. “It’s a choice. … We’re here to serve the niche of families who feel they need this option.”
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