Testimony on online rule: School boards want ‘asynchronous’ removed

Among the testimony on the online course requirement rule this afternoon: Janet Orndorff of the Boise School Board asked to remove the requirement that one of the two online classes Idaho students would be required to take for graduation be “asynchronous”; she said the Idaho School Boards Association has overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution calling for that move, and her board strongly agrees. “Asynchronous” means the entire class is delivered online, and students and teachers participate on their own schedule, rather than interacting in real time. “It’s not that our district is opposed to asynchronous courses - to the contrary,” she said. “But our concern is the requirement.” She said data shows many students won’t succeed in that type of class. “It doesn’t provide, necessarily, the support system for students that needs to be there,” she said, “… especially at the high school level.”

Briana LeClaire of the Idaho Freedom Foundation told the Senate Education Committee, “The Idaho Freedom Foundation is in favor of this law and in favor of this rule.” The committee is alternating between proponents and opponents of the rule; so far, only LeClaire and Orndorff have testified.