Advocates for the expansion of online education were left disappointed after the Missouri General Assembly failed to pass a bill it is claim will rid the state of "arbitary barriers" to virtual learning.
The National Colation for Public School Options (PSO) joined with Missouri parents to urge changes to the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP), introduced in 2018 to allow children access to virtual schools.
But advocates argue that one provision contained in the legislation setting up MOCAP allows a school district to stop students enrolling if it is not believed to be in their best interest. This has led to conflicts, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was hoped legislators would temporarily restrict the veto power of districts during the pandemic. However, opponents of the bill argue online education proponents want to entirely remove local control over the taxpayer funded public education of children.
"With parents concerned about the health and safety of their children for the upcoming school year, lawmakers simply must acknowledge the growing demand for virtual education and act now to expand access and,” Jordan McGrain, executive director of the PSO, said in a statement to the St. Louis Record.
The demand for virtual education will continue to grow given ongoing safety concerns due to COVID-19 and questions about when students might be able to return to brick-and-mortar schools this fall, McGrain said, adding that parents "are concerned that districts won't adapt and that instructional time will suffer."
“Now more than ever, parents want access to educational options that allow students to learn in a safe and healthy environment,” McGrain said. “These options exist in Missouri, and school districts should respect the law and the decisions of parents trying to do the right thing.”
The organization claims that parents and students were barred from enrolling in online schools without justification.
It cites the 2019 case out of Fulton County where a district judge reversed a decision to deny enrollment in a full time online program. The court also ordered the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to list approved virtual education programs on its website.
Independence School District Superintendent Dale Herl, at a public hearing earlier this year organized by the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, said it removes local control in determining whether online learning enrollment is in the best interest of each student.
Providers would not be held accountable for the academic performance of students, Herl said, adding that the bottom line is the proposed law is about privatizing education and making a profit."
“There are those who would say ‘Isn’t it a parent’s right to choose whether they take online courses or not – they meaning their child?’ My answer to that is absolutely, but it is not the taxpayers of the state of Missouri’s obligation to pay for this,” says Herl