Introducing our coalition, important hearing in the legislature on Monday
Dear Friends and Families of Online Learning in Washington:
I write today to introduce you to our new parent-led organization that will fight to protect our right to enroll our children in public online schools in Washington – Washington Families for Online Learning.
As you know, our state led the technological revolution, so it's fitting that so many Washington families have chosen to enroll their children in online public schools. These innovative public school options are the perfect fit for many families in our state, and our organization will be your voice! We will help educate policymakers, the media and the general public on the importance of these public schools to our families and why we selected them. We will work to debunk many of the myths about full time virtual learning and will bring to the discussions about education a voice that's not often heard -- parents, families and children! We came together to launch this organization because we wanted to make sure our kids' online public schools are treated fairly and viewed as an important part of Washington's public education system. We're not affiliated with any one school, and we will work hard to be vocal and passionate advocates for ALL online schools in our state. Our goal is simple: to protect our online public schools. But we'll need your help.
We recently learned about a new piece of legislation that IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO OUR SCHOOLS. IF PASSED, SENATE BILL 5410 WILL CLOSE DOWN THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN CURRENTLY ATTEND. SB5410 mistakenly implies that the only reason parents choose online schools is for the courses. This is not the case. Our schools are REAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS that provide comprehensive, full- and part-time academic program; Washington state certified, highly qualified teachers; extracurricular activities; and much more.
Our schools offer much more than simply courses on a computer. Our families select online public schools for a variety of reasons. Some of our children have special medical needs, others have special learning needs. For many of our families who relocate regularly, public online education is the only way to ensure continuity in their education. And, finally, for some children, a traditional public school simply isn’t the best fit for them. We love our teachers and school administrators. We love our schools. And, we are immensely grateful to our state leaders who have made this choice available to us. If passed, however, this proposal would be a set back for our technologically advanced state and, most important, it would be a set back to the children who rely on their online public schools to provide them with the education they will need to succeed. Again, THIS PROPOSAL COULD SHUT DOWN OUR SCHOOLS.
There is a hearing scheduled on this bill for this Monday, January 26 at 1:30 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the John A. Cherberg Office Building. Get directions here . It is very important for our families to show up in force to send a message about the negative consequences of SB 5410! If you can attend this hearing, please meet us at 1 p.m. in Hearing Room 1. Please wear something RED to demonstrate your opposition to this legislation that would have such a detrimental impact our schools and to ask our policymakers to STOP this bad idea in its tracks.
And, finally, if you can’t join us in person, you should call your local legislator and voice your concerns about SB 5410. Find your legislator here .
In the days ahead, after this storm has passed, we will be back in touch with more information about our organization, our long-term goals, and how you can get more involved. If you have any questions, send us an email to info@waonlinefamilies.org. Visit our web site at www.waonlinefamilies.org. I hope you will join us!
I write today to introduce you to our new parent-led organization that will fight to protect our right to enroll our children in public online schools in Washington – Washington Families for Online Learning.
As you know, our state led the technological revolution, so it's fitting that so many Washington families have chosen to enroll their children in online public schools. These innovative public school options are the perfect fit for many families in our state, and our organization will be your voice! We will help educate policymakers, the media and the general public on the importance of these public schools to our families and why we selected them. We will work to debunk many of the myths about full time virtual learning and will bring to the discussions about education a voice that's not often heard -- parents, families and children! We came together to launch this organization because we wanted to make sure our kids' online public schools are treated fairly and viewed as an important part of Washington's public education system. We're not affiliated with any one school, and we will work hard to be vocal and passionate advocates for ALL online schools in our state. Our goal is simple: to protect our online public schools. But we'll need your help.
We recently learned about a new piece of legislation that IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO OUR SCHOOLS. IF PASSED, SENATE BILL 5410 WILL CLOSE DOWN THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN CURRENTLY ATTEND. SB5410 mistakenly implies that the only reason parents choose online schools is for the courses. This is not the case. Our schools are REAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS that provide comprehensive, full- and part-time academic program; Washington state certified, highly qualified teachers; extracurricular activities; and much more.
Our schools offer much more than simply courses on a computer. Our families select online public schools for a variety of reasons. Some of our children have special medical needs, others have special learning needs. For many of our families who relocate regularly, public online education is the only way to ensure continuity in their education. And, finally, for some children, a traditional public school simply isn’t the best fit for them. We love our teachers and school administrators. We love our schools. And, we are immensely grateful to our state leaders who have made this choice available to us. If passed, however, this proposal would be a set back for our technologically advanced state and, most important, it would be a set back to the children who rely on their online public schools to provide them with the education they will need to succeed. Again, THIS PROPOSAL COULD SHUT DOWN OUR SCHOOLS.
There is a hearing scheduled on this bill for this Monday, January 26 at 1:30 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the John A. Cherberg Office Building. Get directions here . It is very important for our families to show up in force to send a message about the negative consequences of SB 5410! If you can attend this hearing, please meet us at 1 p.m. in Hearing Room 1. Please wear something RED to demonstrate your opposition to this legislation that would have such a detrimental impact our schools and to ask our policymakers to STOP this bad idea in its tracks.
And, finally, if you can’t join us in person, you should call your local legislator and voice your concerns about SB 5410. Find your legislator here .
In the days ahead, after this storm has passed, we will be back in touch with more information about our organization, our long-term goals, and how you can get more involved. If you have any questions, send us an email to info@waonlinefamilies.org. Visit our web site at www.waonlinefamilies.org. I hope you will join us!
