The House of Representatives recently advanced legislation co-authored by State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) that would strengthen Indiana’s virtual education programs.
Goodrich
Building off of recommendations made by the Indiana State Board of Education in 2018, the proposal would establish an onboarding process for virtual schools to help students and parents.
“Online programs can provide flexible learning options to accommodate different learning styles and meet a child’s particular needs,” said Goodrich, a member of the House Education Committee. “Creating an annual orientation program would help students and parents get on the right track from the start, know what to expect and how to avoid common challenges of virtual education.”
Goodrich said this proposal would also require virtual charter schools to be managed by a statewide authorizer like the Indiana Charter School Board or a state university, providing a more consistent and higher level of accountability for virtual programs. Similar to school boards, authorizers oversee the operations of charter schools.
Currently, school corporations can establish virtual charter schools with their own rules and regulations, but Goodrich said consistent oversight is lacking. According to Goodrich, some virtual charter schools have struggled to meet Indiana’s academic standards, and he said this proposal would help improve accountability statewide for virtual education programs.
House Bill 1172 can now be considered by the Senate. To learn more, visit iga.in.gov.
State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) represents House District 29, which includes portions of Hamilton County.