Welcome Back to School!

Welcome Back!

Dear Virtual Public School Parents —

This is an exciting and busy time for students and parents as we kick off the new school year! My name is Tricia Powell, and I’m the President of the Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance (OVPSA) and learning coach to my 9th-grade daughter Hannah and 6th-grade son Issac.

As many of you know, the OVPSA is a coalition of parents who have joined together to advocate for full-time virtual public schools in our state. Our mission is to educate and inform state policymakers about this important public school option. Your participation makes a real difference to our leaders in Salem. As the school year progresses, I hope you will:

  • Check out the OVPSA website and sign up for our updates

  • Like our Facebook page

  • Follow us on Twitter

  • Submit a back to school photo for a chance to be featured in our next newsletter

  • And email me, info@oregonvirtualschools.org, if you would like to play an active role in advocating for our education choice

One of the primary goals of the OVPSA is to ensure that all Oregon students have access to the school of their choice. We will keep you updated on administrative and legislative policies that impact our schools or limit parent choice.

Policy Update:

Enrollment Cap

In 2011, the Oregon State Legislature placed a cap of 3% on the number of kids in a school district that can transfer to full-time virtual public schools. Raising the 3% enrollment cap so more Oregon students have access to this important education option continues to be a top priority for the OVPSA. Throughout the fall and during the 2022 legislative session, we will continue to urge state policymakers to raise the enrollment cap.

Synchronous Learning

In June 2021, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) considered a proposal that would have required all virtual public schools in the state to provide 50% synchronous learning during the 2021/2022 school year. The OVPSA submitted comments to the ODE expressing our concerns and highlighting the adverse impact on students and parents who rely on a more flexible virtual environment. ODE did not implement this synchronous learning proposal, but we will monitor future department guidance to see if this issue resurfaces.

The parent voice is critical in the conversation surrounding full-time virtual public education in our state. I hope you will make your voice heard and join our advocacy efforts.