EDUCATION
An April 2021 Public Policy Institute of California survey showed that roughly 75 percent of parents were in favor of full or partial reopening of public schools .
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“ We aim high , and we set the bar really high for our virtual programs ,” Kinder says . “ And it frankly equated to a really long and exhausting summer for me and my team , but coming together , we ’ re really proud . My goal was to create the best virtual programs in the region , and I feel like we actually met that goal .”
Moving forward
Providing alternatives to exclusively on-site based education has proven to be a difficult task for school districts , especially in light of ever-evolving health news . However , few would question the necessity of expanding flexibility and alternative educational options during this uncertain period . Will the demand for virtual curriculum and virtual independent programs continue beyond the pandemic ? School administrators think so , though whether its demand among districts grows or offers a transition back to the classroom will vary .
For Wood , he sees the growth in Natomas Charter School ’ s independent learning and virtual academy programs as providing a larger umbrella for students transitioning back to in-person instruction . “ If you want the completely isolated program we ’ re probably not the school for you ,” he says . “ But if you ’ re looking for a reentry process back into the educational system , we ’ re actually a good bridge for those families .”
Davis ’ Kinder concurs . He says independent study students “ really appreciated what distance learning did for them and the flexibility that came along with it . “ We absolutely anticipate to continue to have a virtual program in the future .”
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Lindsay Oxford is departments editor of Comstock ’ s . She previously served as arts editor at Sacramento News & Review , where she focused on music , arts , community involvement and vegan food . Find her online at lindsayoxford . com .
64 comstocksmag . com | November 2021