Terry Whitmore, currently the principal for Vesper Community Academy, Rudolph Elementary School and the Wisconsin Rapids School District’s virtual school program, has accepted Nekoosa’s offer to be its next top administrator.

“I look forward to working with the school board, staff and parents to move Nekoosa Schools forward in education,” Whitmore said Sunday in an email. “With a strategic plan in place, I am excited to work with others in the community to make it come to life.”

For the rest of the article, go to Terry Whitmore eager to lead as next superintendent in Nekoosa

The move would be another way to attract students from outside the district, according to the minutes of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, which approved the proposal.

The school board has tasked the superintendent with increasing enrollment as a way of increasing district revenue.

Expansion of the Janesville Virtual Academy would help retain district students who “need alternative learning options,” according to the minutes.

The academy allows students to complete high school at home through online courses or to get caught up so they can return to regular high school.

For the rest of the article, go to Janesville looking to add online middle schoolers

A non-for-profit charter school, JEDI is overseen by a consortium of school districts in Jefferson and Dane counties, including Whitewater.

The school’s online classes are open to elementary, middle and high school students, who can earn a diploma from their resident high school by meeting appropriate graduation requirements.

For the rest of the article, go to JEDI virtual school growing in Whitewater

In 2011, the graduating class was larger than usual, and this school year’s incoming class was small, contributing to the district having 204 fewer students, said Colleen Dickmann, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools superintendent.

“We’ve been in decline with enrollment for years,” Dickmann said.

For the 2011-12 school year, the Wisconsin Rapids district attracted more students through open enrollment, Dickmann said. The school offers both a virtual school and blended school experience, she said. A virtual school is one in which the child learns from home using a computer. A blended school is one in which the child takes part in virtual school but also goes to a school building for some classes.

The School District also has done a survey of parents who have enrolled their children in other districts. The majority of parents say they work in another school district and want their children in school near where they work, Dickmann said.

For the rest of the article, go to Wisconsin Rapids School District loses 204 students

All Wisconsin charter schools are part of public school districts, and when they are approved by the state’s Department of Public Instruction, they receive grant money to plan and start the schools. The grant money can be used only for specific purposes, such as equipment and teacher training, and to market the schools.

For the rest of the article, go to Marketing key to new charter schools

While every family has its own reasons for choosing full-time virtual school, the majority have children who are simply not thriving, for whatever reason, in a traditional classroom setting. Many find increased personalization and flexibility of online schools enable their students to succeed academically, since they can work from home at a pace that is more in line with their learning style, and at a level that suits their educational needs.

But while many families are exploring full-time virtual schools as an option, it’s important to remember that this form of public education isn’t a good fit for every student, or every family.

For the rest of the article, go to The ABCs of virtual school success

FBLA members
head to state

The Future Business Leaders of America chapter from Lincoln High School attended the Feb. 4 Regional Leadership Conference at Stevens Point Area Senior High.

Lincoln students competed against more than 400 students from 24 schools throughout the region in about 48 different business-related events.

For rest of the article, go to School News

Families would work directly with Milwaukee PC, freeing the district from laptop distribution and servicing.

eAchieve would reimbursement Milwaukee PC $400 for each laptop they provide. Assuming enrollment of 800 students and 20 percent attrition, the cost to the district would be $288,000 in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The estimated cost is in-line with budget projections, according to the district.

For the rest of the article, go to District Partners With Milwaukee PC for eAchieve Academy Laptops

Banding together in multidistrict virtual learning collaborations helps member districts pool resources, increase purchasing power, and share best practices as they launch and support online learning for their students.

“Why re-create the wheel?” asks John Jacobs, the director of online learning for the Wisconsin eSchool Network, based in Webster village. The network, which began in 2002 as a collaboration between two districts—the Appleton and Kiel school districts—in the state, now serves 12 districts and has become its own nonprofit organization.

For the rest of the article, go to School Districts Team Up on Virtual Ed. Initiatives

The influx of applicants is typical for the beginning of the enrollment window but significant this year as the virtual school tries to re-brand itself, Principal Rick Nettesheim said.

“Given our new name, we’re very pleased that we’re right on track with how many applicants have come in in the past since we’re marketing under a new name,” Nettesheim said.

For the rest of the article, go to Waukesha virtual school gets new name