High School Online Credits Now Mandatory in Virginia — from educationnews.org by
Governor McDonnell has signed into law a new bill making an online course mandatory for all students entering ninth grade from the 2013-14 academic year.
Excerpt:
Virginia is to join several other states in requiring students to take an online class in order to meet graduation requirement. Governor Bob McDonnell, committed to expanding virtual education, has said that the requirement will help prepare students better for the 21st Century job market.
The measure is becoming increasing popular, with Alabama, Florida and Michigan all adopting rules over the last few years that mandate some online learning. Students in Idaho entering the ninth grade this fall will be required to take two online courses if they wish to graduates. Advocates of online education consider it a natural step to take in preparing students for the increasingly technological world that awaits them after school; however teaching unions are less than enthusiastic, with the Idaho Education Association complaining that these measures disregard parental choice.
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