Houston Tucker

[Commentary] Full-time, online public schools originated as alternatives to traditional education approaches and were even bandied about as ways to revolutionize the learning paradigm.

Now, they too are in need of transformation, because the results so far are mixed at best. While there are many issues that would need addressing, I want to center in on three of the key, critical elements required for virtual schools to be transformed.

1. Be a specialist, not a generalist. Virtual schools mirror their brick-and-mortar counterparts too closely by attempting to be all things to all students. Peruse any virtual school web site and you will see they believe they can serve anyone (as long as they live in the state) — gifted, struggling, homebound, etc.
2. Make the human connection. The learning may be online but the experience should not be virtual. Humans are social beings, and they crave interaction, and shared experiences
3. Make retention a culture, not a strategy. Far too many virtual schools spend too much time focused on attracting new students instead of taking care of the ones they already have. They wait until March or April to engage in trying to retain students instead of understanding that retention begins the moment a family first says “Yes.”

[Tucker is owner, founder, and Chief Fig of Figment Consulting]