A “democratic” alternative for the schools?

The Rio Grande Foundation recently went on the record calling for money to follow the students when it comes to K-12 learning.

But, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and likely other districts around the state is considering not reopening the schools to in-person learning until the end of 2020. This is bound to upset a lot of parents and it certainly raises questions about the priorities of the District.

As an alternative to returning a significant portion of per-pupil spending to families, how about the District sends out a survey to parents and teachers to figure out who wants in-person learning (with basic COVID modifications) and which teachers are interested in teaching in-person as opposed to online. The Unions oppose-in-person learning and they have the loudest megaphone, but a fair vote would likely show many teachers who WANT to teach in-person.

Depending on the results it would seem that a significant portion of parents AND teachers could come together to educate children in-person while others could teach and learn in an online or “blended” setting.

The “one-size-fits-all” concept of K-12 education has never worked particularly well. This has been laid bare by COVID 19. It would seem that trying some innovative solutions like this one would be superior to forcing ALL students into a virtual model through the end of the calendar year.