Here is a link to information about Senator John McCain’s education plan. See http://www.exploremccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/Read.aspx?guid=b9a7c28f-141c-4008-b724-debd2df51642.
For the part about virtual learning, see in particular the last three paragraphs. I’ve copied them in below from his press release. I am curious to get people’s feedback and thoughts per my last post.
Senator McCain’s support of this online learning medium and recognition of the potential here is very encouraging. The last bullet point below is something he didn’t mention in his speech but is particularly intriguing given Senator McCain’s stated desire in his speech to make sure struggling students are no longer stymied from getting the funding for tutoring that they need by the established system in which they are currently stuck.
- John McCain Supports Expanding Virtual Learning By Reforming The “Enhancing Education Through Technology Program.” John McCain will target $500 million in current federal funds to build new virtual schools and support the development of online course offerings for students. These courses may be for regular coursework, for enhancement, or for dual enrollment into college.
- John McCain Will Allocate $250 Million Through A Competitive Grant Program To Support States That Commit To Expanding Online Education Opportunities. States can use these funds to build virtual math and science academies to help expand the availability of AP Math, Science, and Computer Sciences courses, online tutoring support for students in traditional schools, and foreign language courses.
- John McCain Will Offer $250 Million For Digital Passport Scholarships To Help Students Pay For Online Tutors Or Enroll In Virtual Schools. Low-income students will be eligible to receive up to $4,000 to enroll in an online course, SAT/ACT prep course, credit recovery or tutoring services offered by a virtual provider. Providers could range from other public schools, virtual charter schools, home school parents utilizing virtual schooling resources or district or state sponsored virtual schools. The Department of Education would competitively award the funds to a national scholarship administrator who would manage the student applications, monitoring, and evaluation of providers.
