Latests Posts
What ALEC bills might we see next session?
April 30, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Today, lawmakers are struggling mightily to bring the current legislative session to an end. While they do so, let’s take a look ahead to next year’s session.
When the 2013-2014 Legislature convenes next year, among other pro-business measures we are likely to see a push for the further expansion of for-profit online schools, laws allowing school districts to opt out of state standards and regulations, a law limiting the state attorney general’s ability to sue on behalf of citizens, a bill calling for the repeal of requirements that energy companies generate a certain amount of power from renewable sources, a loosening of pipeline regulations and — a rerun from this year — a bid to lower taxes on “less risky” smokeless tobacco.
For the rest of the article, go to What ALEC bills might we see next session?
Bill would allow online driver’s ed for home-schoolers
April 25, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Nestled in the fine print of the omnibus transportation bill pending before the state Legislature is a provision allowing home-schoolers to sign their kids up for online driver’s education. And dozens of commercial digital driver-training programs already operating in other states are poised to start schooling Minnesota teens in cyberspace.
As far as political alliances go, the love affair between home-schoolers and for-profit online education companies would seem about as sweet as it gets.
Since the goal of home schooling often is keeping kids out of public schools, the advent of the virtual school is a major boon. Sweeter still: When the cyber-academy is a charter school, with taxpayers picking up the tab for everything from hardware to curriculum.
Indeed, presidential also-ran Rick Santorum got into trouble several years ago when it was revealed that he had moved out of the state where a public school district paid a cyber charter $100,000 to home-school several of his children.
For the rest of the article, go to Bill would allow online driver’s ed for home-schoolers
Minnesota Virtual Academy holds Chaska talent show
April 3, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) held the school’s annual social event, “MNVA’s Got Talent” at the Chaska Community Center on March 27.
The MNVA is a tuition-free online public school associated with Houston, Minn. public schools. Minnesota Virtual Academy is the largest online K-12 school in Minnesota and has delivered more than 75,000 courses to students state-wide since its inception in 2002, according to an MNVA press release.
For the rest of the article, go to Minnesota Virtual Academy holds Chaska talent show
