July 31, 2010     Contact Us

Victory & Action

The 2010 state budget finally passed. Funding for students in online public school programs is preserved! Friends in Olympia say that is was your calls and emails that saved the day. You helped save our schools! Thank you!

While this year's funding is preserved, we can't forget the shock of learning that the Washington House of Representative's Ways and Means Committee Chair's first budget "saved" $22 million by eliminating all funding for Kindergarten thru 6th grade online programs.  With this year's budget battle behind us we must, unfortunately, prepare ourselves for the 2011 budget (forecast to be even worse than this year's).

WA Families for Online Learning will be launching a campaign to reach our legislators to help them learn about what your child does every day in an online public school. Some families have suggested videotaping interviews,  FaceBook, a statewide press campaign, online demonstrations, regional social gatherings, fundraising, specialized school gear... What would work for you?

As Coordinator for our  non-profit coalition, I'll collect ideas you send to info@waonlinfamilies.org. Then I'll send all our members a survey to use to write an action plan. We need your feedback and advice. Please take a few minutes to email ideas to us now.

 Thank you!

Gigi Talcott, Coordinator for WA Families for Online Learning

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Our state led the technological revolution. Now thousands of families across our state arepart of this technological revolution by enrolling their children in impressive, innovative, individualized online public school programs. Are you one of those families, too? If you are, we'd love to have you join us!  

A few parents started building this new coaltion, Families for Online Learning, by launching this website last year. Our families are working together to let others, especially our elected legislators and the media, know why one of these online public school programs is the right fit for their children. Most people around the state have never talked with a family actually engaged in an online program. By coming together on this website, we can give our students a stronger voice to support their online public school programs. We hope you'll join us! Click HERE.

 
 

Just what is an online public school program?

  • Why do thousands of families enroll their children in an online program?
  • Are all the teachers certified?
  • What's different than "home schooling"?
  • How can it have added accountability?

Click here to learn more...

 

We need your story. You are the experts. Many elected officials don't know what you do everyday in your online public school program. You can be the teacher. We'd love to hear your story.  Send your own story to www.waonlinefamilies.org/stories/  . We'll post the most creative, compelling stories right on this website to share with everyone: your family, your friends and our powerful legislators.

Demos with Legislators       Several online students, teachers and families invited leading legislators to learn about their online public school programs.  In October and November we met in libraries in Magnolia, Bellevue, Federal Way and Mercer Island. In December we presented to legislators in Hearing Room C of the House of Representatives in Olympia.

The interactive presentations gave the legislators: an overview of programs in our state, opportunities to engage individually with online teachers and families...

 

 

 

Legislative Team Success - Our families helped bring the significant SSB 5410 Online Learning Legislation to the governor. Read more...
 

 Fourth Annual Online Learning Day at the Capitol-

Hundreds of students, teachers, families and supporters of online public school programs from across the state came together at the Capitol to share their stories with their legislators on Presidents' Day. We're collecting stories, photos and even video to post here once the final budget is passed. Needless to say, it was a powerful lesson in state government.