Diane Blackmon eShool Teacher-Consultant Programs Coordinator Kenosha Unified School District
The Kenosha eSchool, in partnership with Appleton eSchool and Wisconsin eSchool Network, exists to utilize new and emerging technologies providing students’ access to high-quality standards-driven curriculum in an environment that is self-paced and accommodating to students’ varying physical locations, individualized plans, and time frames.
Connie Radtke
Connie Radtke Program Leader for Online Learning Appleton eSchools
Teens choosing online courses include traveling athletes and models, kids with cancer and kids who have been expelled.
Some take courses not available at their school, or have a class scheduling conflict.
George Meyers
They retake a class online to improve their grade, or just want the online experience.
Program chairman, George Meyers introduced Diane Blackmon and Connie Ratke who have implemented "virtual schools" in Kenosha and Appleton.
Meyers stated that members of the RTA want to learn what "virtual schools" are and whether we would favor instituting them in Racine.
And if so, how would we go about it.
Don Botsford, Dennis Kisley, Nancy Meinholz
To date, Kenosha has 94 full time and 212 part time students enrolled in their program.
The "on line" course option was offered to relieve classroom crowding and offers "the complete high school curricula.
Students have access to assignments 24 hours a day and can have direct one-on-one contact with an instructor in a set of number of hours per day.
Final exams are conducted in the presence of the instructor - passing the exam results in credit for the course.
Ruth Gedwardt, Len Jensen, Frank Miller
Virtual schools are in operation in Madison, Sheboygan, Baraboo, Kimberly, Janesville, Appleton, Kiel and Kenosha.
They are public schools and receive state aid for their support.
In Kenosha, full state aid of $10,000 is received. 20% of that is retained by the school district to cover administrative costs such as payroll, etc.
John Haumersen
Different school districts receive different amounts of state aid and therefore, when a student transfers from one district to another, the amount of money awarded to the virtual school and the amount retained by the school district varies.
Blackmon and Ratke said they would be willing to meet with RUSD school board members to explain the program if there is an interest in establishing a virtual school locally.
