RCS Director of Instructional Technology Mike Williams told the school board the school system will contract Aventa Learning to provide online courses at Richmond County Transitional School and Odysseyware for Richmond Senior High and the Ninth Grade Academy.
Combined, the two contracts will cost a fraction of what the state would charge for its North Carolina Virtual Public School program, at about $70,000 versus $620,000.
The state had marketed NCVPS as a cheap, efficient alternative for school systems, particularly rural districts, to offer lesser-demanded courses without having to hire an instructor for them.
When the bill came in from last year it was for about $300,000, though.
“It’s sort of like you go into an all-you-can-eat restaurant and they tell you everything’s free, then when you get up to leave they say, ‘Oh, that’ll be $50,’” RCS Superintendent Dr. George Norris said at that meeting. “We pushed our schools to do this, and allowed our contracts with other recovery course providers to run out, and now we’re being told it’s not free. So, there is a feeling like we’ve been hoodwinked.”
Williams explained Odysseyware is a completely automated program, while Aventa offers an online instructor with every course.
“We chose to use Aventa at Richmond County Transitional School and Leak Street, because there is a highly qualified teacher with each course, and at those schools we’ll be offering core curriculum, as well as elective and recovery courses,” Williams said. “We felt it was important to have an instructor available for core curriculum classes.”
“This is replacing North Carolina Virtual Public School, which should net us tremendous savings,” Board Chairman Ken Goodman clarified for those in the audience.
Board member Dr. Irene Pittman Aiken asked Williams about how Odysseyware would work for high school students.
“I am very concerned about resources without a teacher behind it,” she said.
“... Yes, this is a step out on a different limb for us, but we are not offering any core courses through Odysseyware,” Williams said.
“I’ve seen these type of programs,” Aiken, a college professor, said. “Students usually lose interest in them.”
Williams explained an online course facilitator is stationed at every lab to help students with online courses.
Aiken then asked whether online courses were used to offer courses the high school could not, and Williams replied there are students taking advanced foreign language courses online this semester, among other offerings RCS doesn’t have.
“It’s true that they don’t offer the great range of courses that North Carolina Virtual Public School does offer, but both vendors are saying the door is open now and they will be adding more elective courses,” Williams said.
“And what of those higher level courses,” Aiken asked.
At this point, Associate Superintendent Dr. Michael Perry asserted himself in the discussion.
“We attempted to find out what students needed, and matched up with their needs,” Perry said. “It’s not that we went out and found something and just stuck them in it because it’s more convenient for us.”
Perry also said the school system is holding out hope it will be able to access NCVPS at a competitive price in the future.
“We’re only planning for this semester because we do anticipate getting some good news from the state that will allow us to use North Carolina Virtual Public School next semester,” he said. “But until then, we feel we have some good alternatives.”
In other business:
RCS Career Technical Education Director Sharon Johnson told the board the Cole Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to Richmond Senior High School to build a greenhouse and shade house.
She said the constructions will be part of a program called 21st Century Learning Through Agriculture.
She said original plans called for the $50,000 to be a matching grant, but the school system elected not to solicit donations from the community due to economic conditions.
Instead, the school will build a 48-foot by 30-foot greenhouse - half the size originally planned.
“Our plan is to leave enough room so that if we do want to expand to a 96-foot greenhouse, we can in the future,” Johnson told the board, adding near-by schools with greenhouses would be consulted.
RCS Associate Superintendent Dr. Robert Beck updated the board on contracts for roofing improvements at Rohanen Primary, Hamlet Middle School, Leak Street and West Rockingham Elementary schools.
“Everything is moving forward according to expectations,” Beck said. “I hope to report to you at the next board meeting that all four of the projects are completed.”
Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.
Post a Comment
