Guest Commentary: Plans for Online Ed Initiative in California Gets Fiscal Thumbs Up from State

John Fensterwald is the editorial  muscle behind the Silicon Valley Education Foundation's "Thoughts on Public Education" blog. In a recent post, he raised the curtain on the next act in the state's effort to expand online learning opportunities.
"With a formal title and a favorable fiscal analysis in hand, backers of an initiative to broaden access to online college preparatory classes will begin gathering signatures (on Jan. 4) to qualify for the November ballot," Fensterwald wrote.
California's "Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance, in a four-page analysis concluded that the initiative in the long run would create "savings potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually' for local school districts 'if schools experience efficiencies and widespread participation in the use of online courses,' " Fensterwald continued.
Click here to read more of his post.

Michael B. Horn: California Initiative Brings Breath of Fresh Air

It’s an embarrassment that California, the state that led the technology revolution in America, is, according to Digital Learning Now, last in the nation in using technology to transform its education system from its current factory-model roots into a student-centric one.
California policy has done its best to create a byzantine—some might say bizarre—set of regulations to frustrate the power of online learning to do just that. From geographic barriers that limit the ability of students in certain locales to access online learning to restricting blended learning in some unfortunate ways, California has created a maze to frustrate would-be innovators.
There have been some attempts by legislators over the last couple of years to begin to rectify some of these problems, but they have only stalled. Although some charter school operators, such as Rocketship Education and KIPP Empower, as well as some school districts, like Riverside School District, have created stellar blended-learning models, the most advanced school districts in California in online and blended learning have seen their efforts frustrated and curtailed. Even the exciting emerging blended-learning models appearing throughout California in response to tight budgets are limited in how innovative they could be by California’s regulatory landscape.
Against this backdrop, a group called Education Forward has introduced “The California Student Bill of Rights Act”—a proposed ballot initiative that would unlock some of the most onerous barriers to online and blended learning in California. But it would do so in an indirect way.
Click here to read more of my thoughts on "The California Student Bill of Rights Act."

Guest Commentary: NRO Contributor Looks at 'States vs. Digital Learning Revolution'

The work of Lance T. Izumi, the senior director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute and co-author of "Short-Circuited: The Challenges Facing the Online Learning Revolution in California" frequently appear in the Liberating Learning Blog.
Recently, Izumi contributed an article to the National Review Online in which he asserts that state governments and teachers unions are setting up roadblocks to the expansion of digital learning.
"Digital learning is not just the wave of the future; it is the tidal wave of the future. Government and special interests need to get out of the way and let this future in so that parents can exercise their fundamental right to choose the type of education that best meets the individual needs of their children," Izumi writes.
He even quotes Terry M. Moe, co-author of  the book "Liberating Learning: Technology, Politics and the Future of American Education" in the article.
Click here for the complete post.

Guest Commentary: Lance Izumi on How California Impededs Digital Learning.

There's a lot of California dreaming going on and the focus is improving the state's atmosphere for expanding online learning opportunities.
Earlier this fall, education blogger John Fensterwald called California a "backwater for K-12 online learning."
A few weeks ago, a plan to  an online learning initiative on the November 2012 ballot.
"The California Student Bill of Rights," the supporters say, would greatly expand high school online education, while breaking down geographic and other barriers that are denying many rural and urban students equal opportunities to attend a four-year public university.
Now, Lance Izumi, senior director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute, using Digital Learn Now's online learning report, to show how California is short-changing students who want to take classes online.
"Jim Konantz, a top official at a large digital-learning company, says that he is surprised that much of the online-education technology "started out here in Silicon Valley, and we're the last to get on board here in California," Izumi writes.
Click here to read Izumi's complete article.

Guest Commentary: John Fensterwald of Educated Guess Bluntly Says--California is 'Dead Last in Digital Ed'

John Fensterwald is a veteran California journalist who has covered state education matters for decades. He now runs a blog called Educated Guess for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.
This week he posted a viewpoint on where the Golden State stands as far a digital education.
"California is a backwater for K-12 online learning, according to a new analysis of states’ policies toward virtual education. Other states are clearing away obstacles and adopting innovative strategies, such as allowing middle school students to take high school courses online and letting students start online courses anytime and complete them whenever they show competency. California is stuck in the past, imposing the standard calendar and student-teacher ratios on a virtual world," Fensterwald writes.
Using the Digital Learning Now report card, Fensterwald added: "Brian Bridges, director of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) and a font of knowledge on digital courses, did calculate the states’ individual totals. Out of a possible score of 72, Utah and Wyoming topped the states with 49. The median was 27, he reports in his blog. With 14 points, California was last."
Click here to read Fensterwald's complete post, which includes suggestions on how California can muscle to the head of the digital learning pack.
Click here to read how Brian Bridges calculated rankings for California and other states using the Digital Learning Report Card.

Guest Commentary: The Bakersfield Californian Believes Digital Schools Must be Part of Golden State's Future

The Editorial Board of the Bakersfield Californian put it bluntly: "For a state that has been at the innovative forefront of digital technology since the beginning, it's alarming to note that California lags behind in the development and deployment of online learning in elementary and secondary educational settings."
Click here to read the complete editorial and find out why editors at the Californian say "state with education challenges as daunting as California's cannot afford to stand to the side and watch for long."

Tom Vander Ark: Marching Orders to Make California More EdTech Friendly

Computers, then smart phones, then tablets changed how we engaged the world. Medical technology extended and entertainment technology enriched our lives. Energy saving technology made our lifestyles more sustainable. Entrepreneurs in California's San Francisco Bay Area developed many of these disruptive technologies.
New York and Boston are home to the publishers; metro D.C. is home to the giants of learning online. But the San Francisco Bay Area is poised to lead the learning revolution.
That said, on many dimensions, California education is also behind most states. California should follow the road map and remove barriers to digital learning. Given the concentration of talent and resources, there is no reason that the Bay Area shouldn’t lead the global learning revolution.
Click here to read more on my view of California and why I believe it is ready to become even more of a leader in the edtech revolution.

Guest Commentary: Planting the Seeds of Online Learning in California

Brian Bridges is director of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN), a group that helps the state's educators identify electronic learning resources. He is also a member of the Computer-Using Educators (CUE) board of directors.
In a recent post on his blog, Bridges spotlights several bills in the California legislature that would help increase the number of online education opportunities for the state's students.
AB 802 would allow school districts to "capture" state money for students who take online courses sponsored by that district.
Bridges also writes about SB 613, which would encourage school districts to use open source textbooks.
Finally, SB 532 would mandate that all high schools students have access Advanced Placement courses. The logical way to meet this mandate would be through online courses.
While Bridges likes parts of SB 532, he has suggestions on how to improve the legislation to make it more virtual education friendly.
Click here to read his complete post.

Guest Commentary: Planting the Seeds of Online Learning in California

Brian Bridges is director of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN), a group that provides resources to help California educators with digital education resources. He is also a member of the Computer-Using Educators (CUE) board of directors.
In a recent post on his blog, Bridges spotlighted legislation now in the California legislature that would help increase the number of online education opportunities for the state's students.
AB 802 would allow school districts to "capture" state money for students who take online courses sponsored by that district.
Bridges also writes about SB 613, which would encourage school districts to use open source textbooks.
Finally, SB 532 would mandate that all high schools students have access Advanced Placement courses. The logical way to meet this mandate would be through online courses.
While Bridges likes parts of SB 532, he has suggestions on how to improve the legislation to make it more virtual education friendly.
Click here to read his complete post.

Guest Commentary: Gov. Jerry Brown, Push Delete Button on Calif. Regs Hindering Growth of Virtual Education

Lance Izumi is the Senior Director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. In a recent op-ed article for the Orange County Register, Izumi issued a challenge to California's newly-elected governor Jerry Brown: Remove the hurdles to virtual education that are stalling a education-changing movement in the Golden State.
"One key regulation prevents students from enrolling in virtual charter schools, where instruction takes place through the Internet, if students don't live in the county in which the school is chartered or in a contiguous county – as if the Internet somehow changes from San Francisco to Los Angeles," Izumi wrties.
"Jerry Brown could click the delete button on these regulations, which would increase individualized learning for students and savings for California's depleted treasury."
Click here to read Izumi's essay.
Click here to learn more about Izumi's new book "Short-Circuited: The Challenges Facing the Online Revoluntion in California."

Michael B. Horn: How Digital Learning Can Help Solve California's Budget Mess

As Gov. Jerry Brown settles into office, he does so against the backdrop of severe budgetary pressures that require California to make do with less. When it comes to education, that realization is usually met with great fear and uncertainty. How can we deny our children funding if it will negatively impact who they become as adults?
We do not have to settle for this trade off. It is possible to use the fewer resources available to provide the great education our children deserve.
Just as California’s state higher education system is embracing online learning to cope with the budget shortfall and serve more students with high-quality programs, so too must California’s K-12 education system harness the potential of digital learning to deliver better results at less cost.
In a post for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation's Thoughts on Public Education, I outline the unnecessary hurdles California has set up that prevents a strong virtual education system from taking root in the state. I also propose some common sense ideas that will help the state move forward.
California’s current budget problems demand boldness. Digital learning offers the opportunity for better results at lower cost, but only if the right policies are in place.
Click here to read my complete post.

Guest Commentary: California Fails at Giving Children a Quality High-Tech Education

K. Lloyd Billingsley is the editorial director of the Pacific Research Institute which is the publisher of the soon-to-be-released book Short-Circuited: The Challenges Facing the Online Learning Revolution in California.
In an op-ed published by sfexaminer.com, Billingsley wrote. "Countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, India and China, along with the European Union, are taking full advantage of online education. California, home to Silicon Valley and major high-tech companies, lags far behind. One of the reasons is opposition from teachers unions. "
Billingsley added: "It will soon be 2011, but these unions still operate under a 19th-century industrial model completely unsuitable for education. More technology means better efficiency, which means fewer workers are necessary to perform the same job. So unions fight to block technological innovation."
Click here to read Billingsley's entire article.

Guest Commentary: California Edtech Money Sits on Sidelines as Legislators Bicker

This editorial from the Sacramento Bee hits the nail on the head.

It is ironic that the home state of Silicon Valley cannot figure out a way to divide federal stimulus so that local school districts can acquire technology to improve classroom teaching.

California is the only state that has not distributed this money.

Yes, it's a shame.