Letter to the Editor by CCCF Director Tillie Elvrum - Colorado Springs Gazette

Importance of online schools

Online schools, also called virtual or cyber schools, have been a topic of heated debate recently in the world of education. In response to The Associated Press article that Colorado Politics ran, policymakers should know that online schooling offers parents and children a valuable and effective choice in education. The benefits are not hard to see.

Cyberschools give families something traditional schools can't offer, flexibility. The opportunity to take classes on your own time allows children to pursue interests that would not be possible during normal school hours. It allows parents to be actively involved in their child's education on a daily basis. Virtual schooling also offers children who may be severely ill, face bullying, or have traveling parents, the ability to learn and keep up with their peers. Our military families especially benefit from online schooling, allowing their children to maintain a consistent school when stations change every few years.

Parents know best what schools and styles of education fit their children and should be considered stakeholders when policy decisions are being made. Everybody wins when parents and students are allowed to pursue the education best suited for them. That's why more students keep choosing online schools each year.

Tillie Elvrum

Colorado Springs