BY PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:00 am
SOMERS - Eric Thompson rises a little later than the average high school student his age. The 15-year-old usually gets up at about 7 a.m. every morning.
While many a bleary-eyed high schooler stumbles to the bus stop even earlier to get to school by that time, Thompson hits the books or fires up his laptop from the comfort of his home.
If he wants to start his day with world geography, he can. If he chooses to start with Spanish I, that's up to him. He might even start his day with his favorite subject, math.
Thompson, a sophomore, is one of the thousands of Wisconsin students who attend virtual or online schools. Attending iQ Academy Wisconsin affords Thompson the kind of flexibility he needs to feed and nurture his biggest passion - skiing.
"There really isn't a set schedule for school. It's pretty much go at your own pace. It all gets done at a different rate," Thompson said of his online schoolwork. "It's just nice to have the flexibility of a schedule like that."
Last week, students, parents and educators testified during public hearings before an education committee of the Assembly and the Senate. Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, chairs the Senate committee and authored a bill that would change the way online schools currently operate.
The debate in the Legislature followed a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state teachers union, against an online school run by the Northern Ozaukee School District. School district officials there are appealing the court ruling in December against Wisconsin Virtual Academy.
As the debate over online or virtual schools continues in the State Legislature, students, parents and educators are nervously waiting to see how political leaders will resolve the issue as the open-enrollment period in Wisconsin draws near. Open enrollment, which gives students the choice to enroll in a school outside of their home district, runs from Feb. 4-22.
When Thompson isn't hitting the books - yes, even online high schools require students to lug around heavy textbooks - he's hitting the slopes, and not just for fun. In March 2007, Thompson competed in the Junior Olympics in Aspen Colorado.
Thompson enjoys school and skiing. He prefers one, though.
The rigorous skiing schedule he's adhered to for the past several years made the possibility of a traditional high school a remote one.
His mother, Diane, home-schooled him since elementary school. She told Eric that he'd have to attend a more traditional high school, where he could get a diploma.
The family started researching their options for Eric's four years of high school. Initially, he thought he'd like to attend The Prairie School in Wind Point. If he wanted to continue skiing, though, that would have been next to impossible, his mother said.
Thompson put on his first pair of skis just shy of his second birthday. It's been about a year since he last put on a pair. Thompson has spent the past year recovering from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) - the ligament that holds the knee joint together.
It's hard to describe how he got to where he is as a skiier, Thompson said. He isn't sure how much further he'll try to go. He at least wants to compete for the Junior Olympics again next year.
The School District of Waukesha operates iQ Academy Wisconsin. The teachers are employed by the district and students attend from throughout the state through open enrollment. The school enrolls 1,100 students - 800 full time and 300 part time.
Thompson is an example of what Kristine Diener calls iQ Academy Wisconsin's "dreamers."
"I think one of the things that are interesting about iQ is, I don't know that there is a typical student. We have kids that are involved in iQ for lots of different reasons," said Diener, who is principal of iQ Academy Wisconsin.
The school, the state's largest online high school, tries to create a sense of community with the students who are spread throughout the state. There's even a prom. It's not a virtual prom.
While the work is done online, iQ Academy Wisconsin is a comprehensive high school that requires the same from its students that any traditional public high school does. The students take the same standardized tests and their scores are included among the scores of other Waukesha students.
The growth of interest in online schooling is part of a growing movement among parents, politicians and educators to increase the number of educational options for students.
"I don't believe that it will ever totally replace face-to-face learning. I think there's always going to be variations. It's about options," Diener said. "I think it's important that we're giving kids the option to follow their passions."