As I look into the future, I see many jobs that require computer expertise and I see many future adults who do not have those skills.
As alumni of the Philadelphia public school system, I am sad to say that cyber charter schools beat brick and mortar public school by a wide margin. My 9 year old daughter has been in cyber charter schools 5 out of the last 6 years since kindergarten. A cyber charter programs offers its students FREE computers (laptops even!), FREE internet access (saving families $40.00 a month) and FREE learning tools to prepare their students for the 21st century.
Public school students do not have access to the new methodologies of learning. That is why Pennsylvania’s first cyber charter school (see reference below) has over 10,000 students enrolled this year from across the state. That one school has an enrollment comparable to an entire school district.
The cyber charter program that my daughter attends is located in a private school to provide the socialization skills required in life and the technical skills needed for a 21st century career. Her student teacher ratio is an incredible 2.5 to 1 (1 cyber charter teacher and 1 on-site teacher). If public schools want to offer anything comparable and save their dwindling enrollment, they need to blend instruction between computer and classroom learning and provide all students a laptop with built in internet access.
This is why I would make the case that internet access should not only be for those who can afford it. No matter what Comcast does to subsidize the cost (to help them ensure a pipeline of future Comcast customers), it is a public good that determines how well prepared students are for the future of education. The future of education determines the business economy which is the determining factor in the U.S.!
21st century public school students need to catch up on learning with websites such as http://www.elearningforkids.org and be provided a username and password for self-paced learning @ http://www.studyisland.com.
For more information go to: http://www.pacyber.com, Nicole Newman is President/CEO of Newman Networks, Online Marketing Strategist for Entrepreneurs with proven results through email marketing and social media campaigns. NAACP designated her as one of the “104 Most Influential Black Philadelphians” in 2013. See http://linkedin.com/nicolenewman and http://www.newman-networks.com
