Guest Commentary: Georgia parents angry at state’s policies on virtual high schools

The Georgia Families for Public Virtual Education has a right to be disgusted with its state’s education policy makers.

In June, the state Charter School Commission rejected a petition from Georgia Cyber Academy to allow the school to offer high school classes. The reasons? Because the commission believed the cyber academy did not meet state performance benchmarks in math and because the school allowed a teacher to serve on the governing board.

The commission did vote earlier this month to allow two new virtual schools to begin enrolling high school students this fall. But last week, commission officials said, both schools decided to postpone their opening after determining the funding they received was inadequate.

The Georgia Families for Public Virtual Education sees this reversal in another way. According to a statement it issued, the two cyber high schools were “were forced to withdrawal due to low and unfair funding from the state.”

"It is concerning that two new online schools set to provide high-level education to Georgia students are forced to close because the state refuses to uphold a law providing equal funding for virtual schools," said Rene Lord, chairman of the Georgia Families for Public Virtual Education.

There is still time to get these cyber academies on track to open this fall. The Georgia Cyber Academy can amend its current charter to allay those governance concerns and, if the state board approves an amended petition in August, the school would become the first and only virtual school offering high school classes.

The Georgia Families for Public Virtual Education should continue its push for full funding of the two virtual high schools. State policy makers should do what it takes to get these virtual schools ready for this fall’s crop of high school students.