Editorial: Districts, Lawmakers Get Online Homework

The fact that the state Public Education Department has signed off on the Albuquerque High School senior who shelled out $200 to re-take senior English over a weekend so he could walk the line at graduation should not be the end of the discussion.

Still to be resolved is what charter schools, Albuquerque Public Schools and other districts are going to do to ensure there is integrity in online K-12 learning going forward.

PED has determined districts have discretion over whether to allow students to enroll in online classes and whether to honor credits. APS has said it wasn’t aware it had that discretion. But since PED says it does, the district and charters need to get busy putting policies in writing that set requirements and standards for online coursework. A good starting point is how you make sure it’s the desperate student trying to graduate or stay eligible for football who is actually doing the work.

The AHS senior wasn’t alone in utilizing online courses; last school year more than 250 APS students joined him to take a total of 399 online courses at Southwest Secondary Learning Center.

Having trouble with a teacher’s method and perform better with measured lessons given at your own pace? Online learning may be an appropriate alternative. Failed an entire class and need to cram it in over a weekend so you can play in the big game or wear the cap and gown? Not so much.

Insta-credits stretch credibility and devalue the important work that happens in classrooms. It is essential that state lawmakers and district leaders heed the concerns of APS board member Martin Esquivel, who cautions that “the real question (is) whether the content of that course was delivered and received with any degree of academic integrity.”

That’s a homework assignment that requires and deserves a well-thought-out answer.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.