Bill Bennett & FL virtual schools.........

One of those "wonder who is where and what are they doing" things. Lots end up in Florida, don't they??

From the Daytona Beach News Journal
http://makeashorterlink.com/?T2A921C26

SNIP..."Lynn Bubba and her two children no longer pile into the family car at 7:45 every morning for the quick trip to Samsula Elementary School.

Instead they meet around the kitchen table at about 8:30 to tackle lessons in everything from subtraction to science as part of a Florida experiment with virtual schools.

The Florida Legislature approved the pilot program last spring, agreeing to pay up to $4.8 million for as many as 1,000 students to try the online school option as a way of reducing class sizes in traditional public schools....."

SNIP...."Danhart withdrew Ryan from Spruce Creek Elementary School and enrolled him at Connections to avoid having him repeat third grade because he failed the FCAT reading test last spring and a follow-up test this summer.

Ryan, who has attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder like Kristi Bubba, had already repeated first grade and Danhart wasn't about to let him be held back again. "I couldn't let them do that to him," she said.

Connections Academy did not retain him. No arguments here on this, as I have mixed feelings about the two-time retention policy.

It is a spin-off of Sylvan, I believe.
SNIP....."Run by K12 Inc., a for-profit company founded by former U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett, the Florida Virtual Academy will serve 500 students including Kristi and Brian Bubba this school year.

Florida has an experimental education program without much public access to information on the cost. And Jeb's brouther Neil in Texas is supposed to be into some sort of on-line education program. Thats all I know. Just memory of bits and scraps from reading adding up.

money

Neal was in saudi arabia litterly within days of 911 and got Ignite fully funded by saudi guilt money...

Ignite software now in Florida(and texas) schools at something like $80 per student annualy...some racket this being a bush* thing is huh?

a few links
http://www.ignitelearning.com/news.shtml
www.mossfoundation.org/id.cfm?ID=37

because sylvan was losing money. the baltimore sun (www.sunspot.com) has lots of articles on the biz split (sylvan HQ is here).

as a teacher, i had to deal with parents who had shelled out $2000 for sylvan tutoring and expected their money to guarantee A's. hardly ever turned out that way. i also suspect that parents will either guide their kids through E courses or just do the work for them. consequently, we (society) will end up with an even more ignorant population. great! just what we need!

If they say they are doing ok, then they are doing ok. My take is that the teachers may not be able to have much input.

and she and I both agree it is a very bad idea. Of course the kids love it because, and I quote one of the participants, 3rd grader Brian Bubba:"The best part is I don't have no homework." You just can't make up satire this rich. Just another step in Jeb's campaign to destroy FL public education.