Dear Virtual Public School Parent,
During this season of gratitude, I'm grateful that my children have the opportunity to attend a virtual public school. This education option has been a good fit for our family. My children thrive in this school setting, and they have been able to learn at a pace that suits their needs.
Why did you choose a virtual public school for your child? Was he learning at a different pace that his peers? Did she have difficulty functioning in a traditional brick and mortar public school?
This is the kind of information we gather yearly from families so we can share data with policymakers about Oregon's virtual public schools. Will you spend a few minutes taking the survey now?
One of the primary goals of the Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance is to inform state policymakers about this important education option and tell them why it's the right fit for so many Oregon families.
Even though virtual public education has been around now for more than a decade, many in our government do not really understand what it is, how it works, its benefits or how it is funded. They don't see the day-to-day learning that happens through instruction by dedicated teachers in virtual public school classrooms with the use of high quality curriculum. They don't understand the reasons why families have chosen this style of education for their kids.
With your help we can inform the debate surrounding virtual public schools and let our legislators know how you and so many other Oregon families have benefited from a virtual public education.
Would you be willing to take a few minutes to fill out our survey and let us know why a virtual public school option has been a good fit for your family.
We will not share any of your individual responses unless you give us permission. The data will be aggregated and shared with Oregon's leaders on education policy.
Please pay particular attending to the survey question about photos and videos. If you're willing to make a short video telling your virtual public school story or share some photos of your child, that will help us connect with legislators and 'put a face' on virtual public education.
We have great virtual public schools in Oregon that are working well for our children. We may have different reasons for selecting our specific school, bull all of our families share a common goal: WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO GET THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE.
Please add your voice to the discussion about online education by completing our survey and telling us why a virtual public school is right for your family.
With the help of virtual public school families across the state, we have been able to protect our funding in past legislative sessions despite bills that threatened to reduce it significantly. There will be more challenges ahead and we are working hard to prepare for them now. With your help, we will be ready!
Sincerely,
Debbie Thibodeaux
President, Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance
Parent to Jordan - 10th grade, Baker Web Academy
Michaela - 8th grade, Baker Web Academy
Zach - 4th grade, Baker Academy