e Schooling a threat to APS' model

There are three basic mechanisms used to present information to students;

1. their teachers can recite it to them, or
2. they can read it in a textbook, or
3. they can sit with a keyboard and a window to the entire universe of knowledge.

The leadership of the APS is fond of teachers and textbooks,
the enormous funding required to support them, and
the huge bureaucracy necessary to administer them.

Charter schools don't share those priorities, and have invested in the opportunities of e schooling. They are in some cases, on the cutting edge.

APS is at best, being dragged kicking and screaming into
the future of education.

APS has some e school programs. Rather than buy off the shelf
commercial e curricula, APS leadership decided to write create
their own. Not surprisingly, their product is inferior to many of
the readily available and thoroughly vetted programs.

The worst part of the whole situation is, the leadership of
the APS is trying to compel APS Charter Schools to adopt
APS' inferior e school software.

The charters are understandably upset.

The fundamental justification for the widely accepted concept of
charter schools, is control over curriculum. All public school
curricula must meet certain government standards.
Having met those standards, charters are free to design specific
curricula that meets their individual learner needs.

APS' interference in charter e school software is completely indefensible.

File this story under "a" for, Another story, you won't read about
in "education"section of the Journal.