MMSD Online Learning Meeting Notes

Changes in Online Education Structure

  • Discussion on upcoming changes affecting online education and feedback inclusion.

    • Emphasis on the role of parents and teachers in student interactions.

    • Mention of synchronous learning being necessary, including live teacher seat time.

  • Overview of the Madison Promise program.

    • Critique of its accountability and teacher involvement:

    • Comparison with other educational programs: credit recovery, MVC (presumably another program), stating mVC is better and Madison Promise is best due to increased teacher presence.

Challenges of Virtual Charter Schools

  • Virtual charter schools are difficult to implement successfully.

    • Concerns about retaining students who leave for better online educational offerings elsewhere.

  • Existing comprehensive online education programs for full-time students recognized.

    • Mention of smaller schools facing closure due to insufficient staffing and offerings (e.g., field trips, student support).

  • Concerns about enrollment numbers:

    • Only pursuing charter options if there is a significant influx of revenue from students leaving Madison for other schools.

    • Example: 93 applicants received from Madison, with 50 turned away due to capacity constraints.

    • Concern for the potential loss of these students to competing schools like McFarland or Wisconsin Virtual School.

  • Recommendation:

    • Focus on growing existing programs and avoiding charter school initiatives.

Part-Time Open Enrollment Issues

  • Discussion on part-time open enrollment trends to avoid specific classes (e.g., Algebra II at Memorial).

    • Examples provided regarding students going to Appleton or Kiel for specific classes.

  • Financial implications of part-time open enrollment:

    • Questions about enrollment numbers and related costs.

  • Personal experience shared regarding a daughter taking statistics.

Communication, Outreach, and Marketing Concerns

  • Need for better communication and marketing strategies to inform families about available online options.

    • Highlighted issues with inconsistent information based on the counselor a student interacts with.

  • Concern regarding demographics in MVC (Madison Virtual Charter):

    • Predominantly white, middle-class demographics.

    • Comparison made with Edgenuity data indicating issues surrounding demographic support.

Systematization and Transparency Improvements

  • Call for systematic improvements in online platforms:

    • Need to work closely with counselors to guide students effectively.

  • Evaluation of the financial efficiency concerning investments in online platforms.

Staffing and Allocation Challenges

  • Limitations regarding qualified teacher staffing for MVC - specifically noted, need for locally certified teachers experienced in online teaching.

  • Yearly financial audit shared:

    • Operating costs depicted at approximately $67,000 last year for MVC.

    • 246 students outsourced to shared instruction while only 57 were served locally.

    • Discussion on the need to invest in local teachers to expand MVC without compromising budgetary factors.

Cross-School Teaching Restrictions

  • Rules limiting teachers from instructing students outside their designated schools discussed.

  • Potential for collaboration across high schools not fully realized, with emphasis on sharing resources (e.g., an AP course offered at one school but not accessible to students at another due to location).

Addressing Student Needs with Flexible Class Options

  • Discussion on how to manage requests for classes not available at specific schools.

  • Questions about the flexibility of staffing across schools for online teaching, such as AP economics.

  • Recognition that, without adequate local resources, outsourcing becomes necessary - called a financial misstep.

Student Enrollment Trends and Needs

  • Overview of unique enrollment numbers:

    • Current year 224 unique students accessing courses.

    • 82 students outsourced to other schools for online courses.

    • Breakdown of students confirms more than half participate in digital access.

  • Exploration of enrollment ratios showing disparity in local teacher services versus those outsourced.

Final Observations and Suggestions

  • Call for data compilation aimed at understanding local teaching capabilities and exploring potential enhancements in online education offerings.

    • Suggestions to consider the benefits of integrating teaching assignments across different school locations while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

  • Discussion on the overarching need for transparency and better communication of available online programs and their effectiveness.