The closing of schools across the U.S. has been a disaster for most students, families and teachers. But in some places, educators are making things work, and even finding ideas that could outlast the pandemic and transform schooling for the better.
Lessons from a virtual school in Texas
When campuses suddenly began shutting down last March, Texas school administrators scrambled to figure out how they could educate the state’s 5.4 million students without seeing them in person. There weren’t many examples of high-performing virtual campuses to look to for inspiration or best practices.
But at one virtual school, iUniversity Prep, students routinely outperform the rest of Texas on state exams, recorded perfect attendance and excelled in advanced academic courses. It’s one of the state’s only virtual schools operated by a traditional district. The campus is also different as it was designed as a magnet school with admission requirements for students. These students tend to be self-motivated, seeking out virtual education to accommodate their commitments outside of class, ranging from intense athletic schedules to erratic acting gigs.
Read more from The Seattle Times.
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