By Todd Kobrin

Nevada public schools are closed and parents want to know what school district officials are doing to educate students during this time of crisis.

Too many schools were unfortunately caught off guard — and remain unprepared and unable to adequately serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, most of the state’s student population is in limbo receiving “busy work” and eagerly waiting to transition to a distance learning curriculum.

Talk with parents about the recent school closures and you’ll hear frustrations – lots of them.  It’s a sad commentary witnessing school district officials slow to transition the state’s student population to a real distance learning curriculum. Parents want to know “why” when a suitable solution exists.   

Nevada already serves over 2,500 full-time online students – and those schools are open. For parents, public virtual education gives them unprecedented freedom to access a school program that works best for their children, a freedom that used to be limited to families who could afford private schools. Public virtual schools are often the target of unfair criticism even as students graduate and move on to college. More than half of the states in the U.S. now have statewide online public schools including Nevada. Technology makes this possible. Academic standards for online schools are just as high as those at other public schools. Our teachers are state-certified and state education officials rigorously monitor student academic progress.

For many children, a traditional school setting simply is not a good fit. A child might find the classroom is not moving at the right pace, depending on whether they are gifted learners or need more one-on-one instruction. In some cases, a child might have medical reasons or other challenges that make it difficult for them to participate productively in a group environment. The one-on-one teaching builds positive relationships with teachers who encourage students to discover more and take on new challenges.

This pandemic has undoubtedly created hardships for students throughout the state. However, it presents policymakers with a unique opportunity to adapt to this crisis and empower families at the same time.  If the current reaction becomes the norm from here on out, then public virtual education will become completely essential – and will essentially need to become the norm.

Governor Sisolak, the Legislature, the Department of Education and the Public Charter School Authority should take a hard, honest look at how online education can seamlessly transition students during times of crisis — and beyond. Let’s get students back to real learning so they can advance to the next grade or graduate.  We need to lift the enrollment caps for current online schools and provide parents more access to choose a public education option best suited for their students.

Let’s embrace the benefits of public virtual education and ensure Nevada is prepared for the future. We owe it to our kids to never put their education on pause again.

Todd Kobrin is a resident of Clark County.  His son attends Nevada Virtual Academy.