by Jim Brown
Thousands of students across the country are enrolling in virtual charter schools backed by former Education Secretary William Bennett.
K12 combines features of home schooling with the notion of using public funds for sound public purpose, and allows parents to teach their children at home or wherever they choose. Founder William J. Bennett says K12 “virtual academies” simply provide parents with another alternative to failing public schools or private institutions.
“I've been in favor of parental choice for a long time,” Bennett explains, “and this is one more choice that we have created to give parents an opportunity to get a great education for their children. When they sign up with K12 in one of the virtual academies in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Idaho, or Colorado, they get an excellent education, great curriculum, computer, a printer, all the books and materials — and they don't have to pay extra for it because they've already paid for it with their tax dollars.”
Although they operate independently from some rules and regulations normally governing public schools, K12 academies have come under attack from an unlikely source. Some home-school advocacy groups claim K12 opens the door to government intrusion and could jeopardize home-school freedom.
Bennett says he is surprised and disappointed, but not discouraged by the opposition from home schoolers. “I've stood up for home schoolers since Day 1, and have fought for their rights to school their children the way they want,” he says. “I just think they should concede that other parents may want to do it a different way.”
“In addition, I don't think we should just abandon $500 billion to bad ideas. I think we should fight for some space within public education for very sound, very thoughtful, and very responsible programs such as K12.”
Bennett says he has no problem with individuals who do not want to be part of a public system in any way, but he believes they should not be telling parents they have no right to enroll their children in K12 academies.
Bennett says the heart and soul of K12 is the content — math, English, history, science, art, and music. K12 academies do not teach religion or sex education.
(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
