Several online-school operators say they fear the highly publicized troubles at one cyberschool will result in a backlash against all online programs when a state audit report is released today.
“We really think the audit committee and whoever asked for the audit had a very definite bias against online education,” said Don Wilkinson, superintendent of the Monte Vista school district, which operates the state’s oldest virtual school. “I think they’re looking at online programs as a whole and not looking at individual programs.”
The problems at Hope Co-Op Online Learning Academy are “going to hurt all of us,” he said.
In October, The Denver Post reported that taxpayer dollars that were intended to fund students at Hope actually went to pay students’ tuition at several private or faith-based institutions.
In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for state money to be used at private and faith-based schools.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Education has notified the Vilas district in southeastern Colorado, where Hope Online is based, that the district will be put on accreditation “probation” because students failed to take mandated state exams and are failing academically.
The state told the district Thursday that it would be placed on probation, which puts the district one step closer to losing its accreditation altogether, said Michael Clough, an accreditation manager for the state education department.
He said the district has also failed to create a plan for accrediting its schools or giving guidance to poorly performing schools.
“If a school is not doing well, it is the district’s responsibility to come in … and provide supports,” Clough said.
Currently, 12 online schools operate in Colorado, according to the state education department, but no state agency is dedicated to overseeing them.
State Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada – who twice tried to pass legislation to regulate online schools – requested the state audit this year, citing low performance and high attrition rates among online school students.
She has said she is not opposed to online learning but believes more oversight is necessary.
Windels has asked the Donnell-Kay Foundation – a nonprofit dedicated to education reform in Colorado – to convene a team of online educators to hear the audit and come up with recommendations she could use to craft online-school laws.
Tony Lewis, executive director of the Donnell-Kay Foundation, said, “There is no state vision for online or online education or distance learning.”
“What the state has done is put its head in the sand and said, ‘Hey, whatever happens happens.’ That’s why we’re seeing (problems) like Hope Online,” he said.
Bill Hines, director of VILAS Online and Colorado Online Learning Academy, said he believes the state will cut off funding to low-performing schools if students’ grades do not improve. His schools are based in the Vilas School District.
If funds are cut off, Hines said, he’ll simply stop accepting low-performing students.
“I’m going to tell them not to come back,” he said.
State Education Commissioner Bill Moloney said there’s no provision in state law to cut off school funding for performance.
Educators say the state should look to improve schools rather than punish them.
Alex Medler, vice president for research at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said Colorado needs good alternatives for at-risk students, but they need standards to operate effectively.
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
