Reader responses to recent posts, and more
Recent posts exploring the shifting digital learning policy battles elicited quite a few responses from readers. Several were from school leaders and other advocates who wrote in to link their experience to the ideas in the posts. For example:
“I completely agree that the [studies] do not capture how some of our students who enroll here are having issues that are causing a crisis in their lives that frequently affects academic achievement. I believe this is adversely affecting our scores. These issues are complex and it is hard to get our legislators to understand these nuances when they are not a soundbite or even a one pager. I appreciate you digging into the nuances of online school accountability results. We are in a cycle of continuous improvement and despite years of experience we are still trying to understand how to make the most positive impact possible on our students.” (Comment slightly edited to remove identifying information.)
Other comments were similar, saying in some form or fashion that “this captures my experience.” Of course, that’s not a surprise, because these blog posts are based on what we hear from Digital Learning Collaborative members, DLAC sessions, and related conversations. It’s our goal to reflect what we perceive is happening in the field, and it’s gratifying to hear that others, especially those in schools, agree in this case at least.
But not everyone agreed. Michael Barbour of Touro University took to his blog to disagree on several fronts, in two posts here and here.
In one of those posts, Michael wrote
“Usually, John and I agree on most things. We come to a similar position in VERY different routes often times, but our end point is usually in the same general area. If you read the entry earlier this week you’ll note that wasn’t the case. It also isn’t the case today.”
The two main areas that we disagree on are 1) the role of companies in education, and 2) the accuracy of the studies that suggest that online schools don’t serve students well.
For more on his views, you can follow the links above to his posts, or you can join us on an upcoming webinar. We’ve invited Michael to join me in a discussion on June 9th, moderated by DLC Director Chris Rapp, as we explore these issues and invite your comments and questions. We’re calling this a conversation instead of a debate because we’re seeking to understand different views, not to score points. Register here if you’d like to join!