Florida Virtual School is a popular way to attend school in our state without having to step into a classroom. Students can take online courses to supplement their current traditional school workload, or students can take pretty much all of their courses online in the homeschooling tradition. According to this St. Petersburg Times story about Florida Virtual School from a year ago, the system is even considered its own school district. The classes are free to Florida kids. My teenage daughter is going to take a stab at an online Algebra class over the summer.
Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? Sure it does. The newspaper story even relates how Virtual School teachers can tailor instruction to individual students, which is something that can’t always happen in the traditional classroom. But what if such individualization goes a bit too far? Take a moment to review this previous post of mine about a concerned teacher (in a Florida public school) wanting to know what the rules are for parents wanting to shield their students from lessons on evolution. Can the students opt out and complete an alternate lesson? The answer turned out to be a resounding no. Such opting out is not allowed.
However, it looks like some parents may be turning to Florida Virtual School just so that they can keep their kids away from instruction they don’t like. I’m sorry to have to do this, but I need to direct your attention to the WorldNetDaily. A story is posted there about a family that decided their daughter shouldn’t have to be subjected to an evolution assignment. Read what happened:
When the subject of evolution was addressed in Kristin Lockhart’s marine science course, she was given an assignment to create a marine life that would evolve and adapt to its environment over time.
“I spoke to the teacher and told her we don’t believe in evolution. We believe in creation,” Lockhart explained. “I told her my daughter was going to do this assignment in terms of creationism, which she did. The teacher had no problem with it, and she got an ‘A.'”
She got an A. Anyone care to join me in complaining to the Florida Virtual School management?
So does Lockhart
thingthink the scientific community is incompetent, or involved in a vast, decades-long conspiracy?You’re going to stay in this dark cave and believe only what I tell you because this here book tells me so, and now its legal as well. I will protect you from that scary world of science, they are for sure the “DEBIL”!
I’m sorry, I should not poke fun at families like this, but it’s the first thing that pops into my head when I read stories like this.
RAmen!
Absolutely insane…
I’ve submitted my complaint, and I reposted this on my blog page with reference to Florida Citizens for Science for the lead – thanks for staying on top of this!
http://ecographica.blogspot.com/2009/05/evolution-and-sex-ed-optional-in.html
She could have just drawn a dead fish, after all that’s what what it would become.
A year or so ago there was a video of the Orlando meeting. It was the one with the orange guy in it. Is this still available if so where. Thanks Chris
Chris,
Full videos can be found on this page of our website:
https://www.flascience.org/project.html
I was raised in the catholic tradition and, I use to think and act just like that for lack of knowledge, until I move to Florida. I do believe that most Christians do act like that for that same reason, lack of knowledge and also of massive dosages of fear inflicted by their own money-hungry-churches. When I do read histories such as this one I do feel sorry for humanity. We have been oppressed for 2000 year and it seems that we will forever be under the spell of the money-hungry-churches. What convinces me was the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche whom I do frequently suggest as a must read to every fanatic Christian right now. Do a Google search on Nietzsche and enjoy life again.
FYI
Ron Matus at the ST Pete Times has picked up the story on the FCS blog and is now asking questions. http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/
Thanks Brandon for bringing these issues to our attention
From a comment at tampa bay bay blogs but so funny that I had to put it here for you guys. 🙂
“Thank you so much for the information about the designer curriculum at FVS. I am against Geometry. I do not want my children learning ANYTHING about shapes. Shapes are evil and the work of Lucifer! Look at the pentagram! I will sign my precious children up for FVS classes and request that they be allowed to opt out of ALL things shapely!!! “
Careful. What exactly did the mother, the teacher, and the student mean by “in terms of creationism”? Perhaps the teacher is on the level and managed to convince the parent that the student completed the assignment “in terms of creationism”. Perhaps the student did a good job in the eyes of the teacher, but concluded with a footnote to the effect that “But I don’t believe it.” Stephen J Gould accepted that sort of thing from a graduate student once. I’d accept it as a workable compromise if I was the teacher. All presupposing that there’s more to the story, of course.
After reading the previous post as well as this one, I have some questions for you as well. We may want to answer them before sending uninformed complaints to the virtual school, or anyone else for that matter.
How was the assignment tailored? Did it still teach the standard without compromising the student’s belief system? Was the assignment well thought out and put together?
The student is homeschooled. Homeschooled students do not have to take the FCAT. The Florida Virtual School students also do not have to take the FCAT because although FLVS is its own school district, it does not offer diplomas to its students. The traditional school students obtain a diploma through their home district, and home schooled students receive diplomas through alternative means. Perhaps all of this also has affected the decisions made by the Virtual school and the teacher in this case.
I also read the full article on the student in question and noticed that the author had spoken with the Global virtual school, which is not run the same way as the Florida Virtual School. Those students pay their tuition like a private school. Although I don’t agree with any parent shielding their child from knowledge, I think there’s a lot more to consider than just what we know (based on another article).
We are supporters of science and the scientific process. Let’s not support the ignorance and misinformation that we are trying to protest by potentially spouting it ourselves.
On topic, FLVS is an amazing organization- they are at the forefront of the cutting edge of education. This might be a mis-communication at the very least.
As far as attacking the Christians (as usual coming from the “tolerant” liberals- who practice “oh-so-well” what they preach)… I always find the interesting views from the athiests a bit contradictory and confusing. “Money-hungry” churchgoers are donating more to help the poor in their communities, around the United States and the world! I happen to see my church’s bank statements (a mega church) and this is an annual event that is reported. But of course, you would have to have an “open mind” to know this.
My bet is that you give money to charities only when your friends “atta-boy” your kindness and give when it is something you feel saves human life. However, my question to you is this- if human life is evolved from the great concept of “survival of the fittest”… then, why save life at all- why not let the strongest survive (and that includes the rich by the way)… I do not hear anyone teach that in schools.
Because working together and taking care of one’s own have proven repeatedly to be among the most successful strategies in evolution. “Survival of the fittest” has nothing to do with slaughtering your competition. We can see that looking at termites, bees, ants and, yes, people. You should learn something about evolution before trying to be arrogant.
Hi Brandon
I’m not sure if it’s me or the site. When I try to check out the Orlando meeting this is a sample of what I get.
I get nothing, it’s all just jibberish