Virtual School Startups: Founder Processes in American K-12 Public Virtual Schools

Brett Drushal Taylor,Delores E Mcnair

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v19i1.3205

Brett Drushal Taylor, Delores E Mcnair

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i1.3205

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Abstract

<p class="3">Traditional school districts do not have a lot of experience with virtual schools and have lost students to state and charter virtual schools. To retain students and offer alternative learning opportunities, more public districts are starting their own virtual schools. This study was an examination of foundational processes at three California virtual schools in traditional school districts. An analysis of the findings revealed that sites perceived the establishing founder, preliminary research, district support, teacher and staff selection, financial evaluation, and curriculum decisions as keys to the founding process. The analysis also led to surprising conclusions, including the need for virtual schools to constantly change and adapt and the focus in this study of organizations over technology. The findings have implications for traditional districts starting virtual schools. The study also indicates that changes in policy could reduce the need for organizational adaptation among virtual schools in traditional school districts.</p>

Highlights

Schools where all or most teaching and learning happens online are a specific category of called virtual schools (Watson, Murin, Vasha, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011)
Because traditional school districts were not granted the funding of statewide virtual schools or the flexibility of charter schools, they were late in starting their own virtual schools (Watson et al, 2011)
Stakeholder quotes and narratives are included to give a context for the findings and to drive discussion about the perception of foundational processes

Summary

Introduction

Schools where all or most teaching and learning happens online are a specific category of called virtual schools (Watson, Murin, Vasha, Gemin, & Rapp, 2011). These schools use the advantages of online learning to create holistic school organizations (Watson, Pape, Murin, Gemin, & Vashaw, 2015). They differ from traditional schools, referred to as brick and mortar since students do not meet with teachers and other. Laws governing charter schools were developed to create flexibility for innovation not granted to traditional public schools. Because traditional school districts were not granted the funding of statewide virtual schools or the flexibility of charter schools, they were late in starting their own virtual schools (Watson et al, 2011)

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