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Should NC's Virtual Charter Schools Be Allowed To Stay Open?

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published November 13, 2017 at 12:22 PM EST
Thousands of students are attending virtual classes as part of a virtual charter school pilot program.
Kevin Jarrett
/
Flickr - Creative Commons - https://flic.kr/p/igWhB9
Thousands of students are attending virtual classes as part of a virtual charter school pilot program.

Thousands of North Carolina students attend virtual charter schools. The program began in 2015 as a pilot project, and the flexible format is a boon for students pursuing some professional careers, like athletics. 

News & Observer reporter Lynn Bonner talks to host Frank Stasio about virtual charter schools.

However the two virtual charters operating in North Carolina are rated as low performing by the state. The schools are currently in their third year of the four year pilot project, and the superintendent of one of the schools, Connections Academy, says the institutions should be allowed to keep running after that period wraps.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with News & Observer reporter Lynn Bonner about the latest in the debate over the schools. 

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio