North Carolina Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Wake County Democrat, called the state’s expansion of virtual charter schools “educational malpractice” and said it cheats both students and taxpayers.
“How on earth are you allowing parents to send their kids to virtual charter schools that have consistently received a D as far as annual school performance?” Chaudhuri said. “This would be like educational malpractice for them to continue to do this.”
Chaudhuri made the remarks during a Thursday event hosted by Public Schools First NC, an advocacy group that opposes the expansion of charter schools and voucher programs.
For years, North Carolina has had two virtual charter pilot programs operating entirely online. Both have failed to meet performance expectations since they opened a decade ago. The board has approved two additional standalone virtual schools in recent weeks.
The state’s Charter Schools Review Board also approved four new remote academies last week. Remote academies differ from virtual charters in that they’re tied to brick-and-mortar schools. North Carolina now allows 21 brick-and-mortar schools to offer online instruction.
Rep. Rodney Pierce, a Halifax County Democrat, linked the growth of virtual programs to broader challenges in education. “I just think this is part of a bigger overall agenda to weaken public education,” he said.
Supporters say online schools offer flexibility for students who struggle in traditional classrooms, need alternative schedules or cannot get seats in brick-and-mortar charter schools.
Rhonda Dillingham, executive director of the N.C. Association for Public Charter Schools, said the programs give families more control over how their children learn.
“Parents have the fundamental right to choose the educational path that best suits their children’s unique needs,” Dillingham said, adding that remote learning can foster independence and accommodate different learning styles.
Dillingham said the organization plans to use part of a $52.9 million federal Charter Schools Program grant to develop a guide for remote academies. The guide will focus on online instruction, student engagement and ways to support students with different learning needs.
Some members of the Review Board have also questioned the expansion of these remote programs. “I see it as a money grab for a lot of schools that are doing it,” board member Stephen Gay said, in last week’s monthly meeting.
Board Chairman Bruce Friend, whose own charter school recently received approval for a virtual spinoff, bristled at that characterization.
“If it’s a money grab, then we need to weed that out from the get-go,” Friend said, “not make that a generic comment that applies to those involved in this learning environment.”
The State Board of Education has asked lawmakers to overhaul how standalone virtual programs are funded. The board included the request as one of its legislative priorities, citing roughly $25 million in cash reserves held by the state’s two original virtual schools.
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