The Editor,
Re: "Online learning a virtual success," News, Jan. 4.
I read the recent article on "Online learning a virtual success" with interest.
The article mentions that an estimated 600 Richmond students are currently registered with other school districts and that, of course, means less funding for the Richmond School district.
We have been one of those families for 13 years and will continue to be part of those statistics.
Unless I have simply missed the information over all of these years, Richmond is one of the few school districts that does not offer registration or support for home learning families, DL (distance learning) programs for K-9 or alternative school programming.
So, we register home learners or enrol distance learners with Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, Gulf Islands and further, both with public and independent schools.
It has never made sense to me that Richmond has offered nothing in this area. Families and learners look for alternative programs either for learning in the community/home as compared to traditional "bricks and mortar schools" or for alternative/democratic/free schools such as Windsor House in North Van or the Phoenix program on the Gulf Islands.
I am glad to see the beginnings of alternative programming with Richmond Virtual School, but Richmond has a long way to go to catch up with other school districts in this regard.
As my children have done some of their senior high school classes at a local public high school, I have had conversations with teaching and counselling staff who have been very interested in the educational choices we have made over the years.
While the regular public school system suits many learners and families, there are many others for whom it is not a good fit.
If alternatives were available here, the funding and the associated jobs would remain in Richmond.
Perhaps it is time for the Richmond School District and the Richmond Teachers Association to invite public discussion (a forum perhaps?) on new learning possibilities.
Jane Stokes Richmond
