Pam Benigno has served on the board of a cyber charter school and directs the Education Policy Center of the Independence Institute, a Colorado-based, free market think tank.
In the wake of a controversial series on the quality of online education in Colorado, Benigno wrote an opinion piece for the Denver Post.
"Technological advances are continually creating new opportunities to effectively educate Colorado's K-12 students through online learning. Colorado needs to look forward in protecting an environment for innovation, while balancing needed accountability for cyber school operators," say writes.
"Two decades of open public school enrollment have given Colorado families a gift that continues to be unwrapped. Today, Colorado school districts offer numerous charter schools and other options, including full-time online programs. Twenty-two unique online schools serve students anywhere in the state, while 23 programs serve only district residents.
"Some of the dismal reports about Colorado's full-time online education programs reinforce what many of us already knew. On average, these schools have shown disappointing results in educating and retaining students. The Colorado Department of Education plans to conduct a comprehensive review of the standards and accountability for online schools. Senate President Brandon Shaffer has requested an emergency audit of online schools," she continues.
"However, technology is being developed so quickly we don't know what future programs will look like or what the challenges might be," Benigno adds.
Click here to read her complete essay and why she warns readers not to "turn back the clock on expanded educational opportunities."
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