Mackenzie Ryan

The Des Moines Register

DES MOINES — By the time she finishes her yearlong, cross-country trip, Sara Johnson will have visited nearly every state. And she's taking her two boys, ages 3 and 6, along for the ride.

After a divorce, Johnson sold her Johnston, Iowa, home, purchased an SUV and camper, and enrolled her oldest, who was entering kindergarten, in one of two virtual schools now operating in Iowa.

"I just thought, you know what? It's a great time (to go)," she said. "We could learn and travel for a year."

Johnson is among a small but growing group of parents that want flexibility in their children's schooling — and the ability to access it from anywhere, at any time.

Virtual library helps low-income schools teach reading

They are part of a movement to give more education options to Iowa families, and the controversial effort to allow public money to fund it.

In 2013, Iowa students first enrolled in virtual schools run by for-profit companies that contracted with two rural districts. The two schools that operate here, Iowa Virtual School and Iowa Connections Academy, are considered public schools. They meet the same regulations as other public schools, such as testing students and requiring Iowa-certified teachers. They also receive state funds.

"It offers the curriculum in a different way that allows him to learn well, and return his love of learning," said parent Michelle Majeski, who enrolled one of her two sons in the Connections Academy. "It's a great school."

Now, Iowa Republican leaders have said they want to expand educational choice in Iowa, including allowing more privately run, publicly funded options. One proposal includes Education Savings Accounts, which would allow parents to direct public dollars toward private school tuition, home school curriculum or tutoring costs.

Potentially, that could pave the way for state money to go toward private online schools, which could operate outside of the regulations that govern public schools in Iowa.

“One size does not fit all families,” Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a school choice rally in January.

But others fear the consequences of diverting money away from public schools, as state dollars would "follow" students to privately run schools.

"You don't mind if the motive is to better the school system," said state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines. "But this motive is to destroy, to decimate, public schools."

In addition, some question whether online schools can offer the same quality of experience, and whether earning a profit or answering to shareholders undermines companies' educational choices.

"Do I think it's OK for kids to take online classes to supplement their education? Yes, of course," said parent Claire Celsi, co-organizer of Iowans for Public Education, which opposes using state dollars to fund privately run schools. "But to substitute 100% virtual schools with a classroom school? Absolutely not."

Seeking options

Virtual schools attract families for a number of reasons, said two Iowa superintendents who work with virtual providers.

Some students are struggling with illnesses or long hospital stays that make online education a more practical choice, they said. Others want to escape bullying or harassment at their local schools.

Still others want the freedom to log into class from anywhere, or at any time. Some compete in intensive sports or other activities that make a traditional school schedule difficult. Some have other motives, such as Johnson's desire to travel.

Her family is on the road for six to eight weeks at at time, staying at campgrounds and national parks.

Each morning they log onto a computer for virtual kindergarten. Her son Tristan interacts with a teacher and classmate for lessons. His younger brother, 3-year-old Jasper, often follows along.

Unlike home schooling, in which families purchase curriculum and organize lessons themselves, Johnson received free textbooks and lesson supplies in the mail, including a magnifying glass for a science project. A teacher directs lessons over the computer, with classmates interacting virtually.

To supplement her son's lessons, Johnson organizes and pays for activities on the road, such as visiting museums, historical sites and participating in the National Park Service's Junior Rangers program.

A recent week in South Florida included stops at five attractions. She tries to pick ones with educational components: the Everglades, the Miami Zoo, and a sea turtle hospital, among others.

"This is what's life is all about," Johnson said. "I love travel, and I love change."

She credits Iowa Virtual Academy for making the cross-country trip possible. And because the virtual school is held to the same standards as other Iowa public schools, she's confident Tristan will be ready for first grade next fall.

Considering the extra time they've spent learning about history, government and science, in some areas Tristan may even be ahead, she said.

School funding

So far, virtual enrollment in Iowa remains small, in part due to enrollment caps. Just more than 800 students enrolled this year, a fraction of the 481,000 K-12 students in Iowa.

The state funds public schools based on enrollment. This year, schools receive $6,446 per student.

But some are crying foul over the current law, which allows the two virtual schools, Iowa Virtual and Iowa Connections, to operate as public schools. In effect, critics argue, they take money out of the public school system.

Iowa Virtual and Iowa Connections received a combined $5.2 million in state funding this year; since 2013, the amount has totaled $12.6 million in public funds, according to data from the two rural districts that contract with the online schools.

Researchers: Don't expand virtual schools as is

Those districts, CAM Schools in Anita, and Clayton Ridge Schools in Guttenberg, also receive a cut, totaling $219,000 since 2013.

“Like other districts, 80% of our cost is payroll,” said David Schlueter, business manager in Clayton Ridge. “This helps keep a number of our staff employed.”

Students from across Iowa can open-enroll into CAM and Clayton Ridge to gain access to the two virtual schools.

Iowa Virtual, which contracts with Clayton Ridge, is operated by K12. The company runs virtual schools in 33 states and reported $872 million in revenue in fiscal year 2016, according to its annual report. The publicly traded company does not pay a cash dividend to shareholders, but instead reinvests profits as working capital, it says.

"Supporting students to reach their academic goals is in our DNA. K12 cares as much, if not more, about student success as any not-for-profit," CEO Stuart Udell and Executive Chairman Nate Davis wrote in the report.

The Washington Post reported that Betsy DeVos, the recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of Education, and her husband were among K12's investors when it was a privately held company, according to a financial disclosure sheet from 2006. The company made a public offering the following year, in 2007, and is now traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LRN.

Devos, a champion of the school choice movement, told the Senate confirmation committee that she would sever business ties if confirmed.

"Not all schools are working for the students that are assigned to them," she said. "I am hopeful we can work together to find common ground in ways we can solve those issues, and empower parents to make choices on behalf of their children that are right for them."

A personal choice

Virtual schools, like brick-and-mortar schools, require students to meet certain attendance requirements by logging in online. In addition, schoolwork is designed so it can't be completed at the last second.

"It's very rigorous," said Wallace, superintendent of Clayton Ridge.

Many families are actively involved in student learning. About 73% of online students received parent instruction during school; roughly 72% reported receiving instruction from a teacher online. A majority also ask parents for help when they struggle with lessons, according to an Iowa Department of Education report.

"It's a good option for some kids and some families, but it doesn't work for others," said Casey Berlau, superintendent of CAM schools, which partners with Iowa Connections Academy. Educators said students who have attendance challenges at a traditional school often have similar issues online.

About 80% of Iowa Connections students and 74% of Iowa Virtual students are reading at grade level, according to a state report. In math, 59% of Iowa Connections students are at grade level, while 56% of Iowa Virtual students are.

Johnson said the approach is ideal for her son's learning style, which she described as being "hands-on." Tristan has difficulty sitting still and paying attention during a traditional teacher-in-front lesson, but can focus for hours when he's engaged in a different way, which she helps coordinate.

"I know my children well enough; we need a lot of time outside," she said. "We need a lot of hands-on learning."

She plans on enrolling Tristan in Johnston schools, and a traditional classroom, after settling back in Iowa next year. According to a state report, roughly half of virtual school students do not re-enroll in online schools the following year. Reasons why are unclear.

For Johnson, virtual school has been a welcomed choice.

"I want to make sure he was hitting all his milestones," she said. "I didn't want it to be a thing, while we were on the road, that he came back and had to prove what he had learned. I didn't want him to be worried about starting his first-grade year."

Follow Mackenzie Ryan on Twitter: @Mackenzie_Ryan