Georgia Cyber Academy responds to state board special ed concerns: DOE didn’t provide assistance or clarity
In light of the state board of education concerns about Georgia Cyber Academy, I asked the director of the online charter school to make a statement.
Here is a response from head of school Matt Arkin:
GCA has been committed to working collaboratively with the Department of Education since our launch in 2007. When, in early 2012 Department of Education staff came to us with concerns regarding the growth of our Special Education population, GCA met with DOE staff, provided all requested information in a timely manner, and cooperated fully in a completely transparent manner.
When the DOE identified a list of issues to be addressed in May, GCA moved swiftly to address every issue identified in a comprehensive manner (including the addition of over 25 new special education teachers and support staff), and met every deadline that was identified by the DOE without delay.
GCA has met every deadline and addressed every issue identified by the DOE to date, as Lynda White, the consultant that Debbie Gay, the DOE Special Education Director, personally selected for us to work with has confirmed.
Lynda is a former superintendent in Butts County and special education director in Cobb County, and she has been working very closely with GCA staff on improving special education at GCA since May and has a very different perspective on the work that we’ve done than what you’ve heard from the DOE.
I am providing a letter sent from her to the Odyssey/GCA Board chair in September (after the substantial work of addressing the DOE’s concerns had been completed), and I would call your attention to a couple of specific comments in the letter:
• “I consider (GCA) to be in substantial compliance and anticipate acknowledgement of this by the DOE”
• “(I)n my opinion, GCA is currently as compliant with regards to Federal and State Special Education regulations as any other public school district in Georgia that is currently serving 1200 students with disabilities.
From an academic perspective, comparing the results from GCA’s students with disabilities to the state average on the tests you referenced you’ll find that GCA students outscored the state average on 4 out of 6 of the tests (above in Math 1, Biology, and 3rd & 8th grade Reading; below in 3rd and 8th grade Math), in addition to beating the state average in 8th grade science and 9th grade Literature & Composition.
We agree that improving the academic performance of students with disabilities remains an important priority for all schools in Georgia. As to 2010-11 AYP results, GCA met 29 out of 30 AYP indicators (including all 5 indicators for Students with Disabilities), failing only to meet the remaining one indicator by 0.1%, or 8 students out of nearly 4,000 tested.
Misleading results like these are one reason that Georgia chose to move away from the AYP system last year.
As far as parent complaints, the DOE has received complaints from less than 10 parents of GCA students with Special Needs out of over 1,200 Special Education parents over the last 18 months – a very small percentage. We have still yet to be informed of any identified issues from a comprehensive monitoring visit by DOE staff last month, nor have we had any opportunity to respond to any of the concerns raised.
The process that we have been subjected to by the DOE is one that appears unique to a state charter school like GCA. In addition, we have made a number of formal and informal requests for assistance from the DOE for GCA Special education students and staff over the last 18 months – all of which are provided to students in traditional districts. Specifically, the DOE:
• Neglected to provide the school $1.4M in state funds it was owed during FY12
• Neglected to provide access for GCA administrators to the state special education data system during FY12
• Neglected to provide access to the state Medicaid reimbursement process during FY12
• Continues to neglect to provide GCA students or staff access to the Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS)
• Continues to neglect to provide access for GCA students to Georgia Network for Education and Therapeutic Supports (GNETS)
• Continues to neglect to provide access for GCA students to regional related services co-ops available to other (non-charter school) districts around the state
We have strived to work collaboratively with DOE staff throughout the process they have identified – unfortunately negative comments were made publicly before providing the school or our Board with a report or opportunity to respond to any findings. We plan to continue to work as we always have to continue to improve the academic experience for our students with Special Needs and all GCA students.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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79 comments Add your comment
creative mom
November 15th, 2012
4:08 pm
Wow Ray, I’ve never homeschooled a day in my life. My student in GCA is with a public charter school and he has real teachers that teach classes everyday. So, I have no idea what you are talking about with, home schooling wackos and this is the wave of the future. Normal brick and mortar didn’t work for us. So there is no need to put those of us that have chosen to do something different down.
Oh wait, you must have learned how to do that in your traditional, old fashioned brick school house. Cause, I know when my son was in kindergarten, my son learning the word M….F… Came from a little boy named Corey. I remember it perfectly,b/c apparently at recess Corey said this word over and over again, and my son felt like he needed to come home and say it over and over. He also learned how to roll a joint in 3rd grade, and in 4th grade was not only bullied by his peers, but also his teachers. So yeah, some overhauling needs to be done in the school systems. I was also in a public school all my life, up until I dropped out in 1992 when they hung metal detectors on the high school doors, and started patting us kids down and going through our bags. You know, that really didn’t bother me, it was the gang of guys that grabbed my private parts and asked me what I was going to do about it, that broke the camels back. So yes, If I can save my child from that, your darn right I am. It’s a shame and a disgrace that everyone is so against something they’ve never experienced. Not everyone is so lucky to live in districts with awesome schools. So your going to condemn me for wanting more for my child. Hahaha.. you go right ahead. I’m making sure that my child is socialized and getting a good education. I don’t have to worry about him learning how to put down others like you have. I’m not saying he want ever learn this, just not when his brain is to immature to understand how to combat it.
Ray
November 15th, 2012
4:27 pm
Creative mom, you made my point.
Ole Guy
November 15th, 2012
4:30 pm
Is this spec ed stuff for real? Just exactly how many, within this community, are deemed as such simply because, well, it’s easier; more convenient for educational leadership…than to (here we go again) set the standards for academic excellence, INSIST upon their attainment, and that’s all there is to say.
No, it’s easier to raise the bar, allow any-and-all to pass, and, in the meantime, bask in the additional demands for educational funding under the cloak of…special education.
SJS
November 15th, 2012
4:47 pm
Well, if people like Ray are the ones who have children in the B&M school nowadays, I certainly don’t want my children around them! Homeschool Wackos, really? Is this what you teach your children? Another good reason we left…
Ray
November 15th, 2012
5:20 pm
Yes, SJS, really.
I teach my kids that there are all kinds of people in the world, and school is a place to start learning how to deal with them. You can’t get that sitting in front of a computer.
SJS
November 15th, 2012
5:39 pm
So, Ray, really you teach them to disrespect people they don’t know and call them names…they will excel, as they will learn from a master. Again, another good reason to have other options.
Josie
November 15th, 2012
6:56 pm
Let me assure you that “homeschool wackos” are adamantly opposed to cyber schools as well. Many traditional homeschool groups will not allow members who use cyber schools. The two concepts are very different in both intent and practice.
FYI
November 15th, 2012
9:05 pm
@ Ole Guy. You really need to get up to speed about today’s education.
“Special Education” is a euphemism for the education of children with medically documented disabilities, that may be mental (IQ of 80 or a psychological disturbance such as autism) or physical (wheelchair-bound). ALL of these children must by law be taught together in one classroom with “regular” children who do not have these disabilities.
ParentsAttorney
November 15th, 2012
10:23 pm
I learned quite a bit speaking with, and representing, parents of children with special needs at GCA. Some called me for one reason, and once I started looking into their cases, realized that their concerns were nothing compared to the HUGE violations of federal law that I discovered. Completely ignoring IEPs (yet still taking the extra $$ they get for serving children with special needs). Fighting to not have to provide related services that were more than warranted under the law. Mischaracterizing classes. Failing to re-evaluate. Failing to provide progress reports or do any kind of progress monitoring as required by law. And when the parents approached the school about,it, they were ignored, spoken to condescendingly, belittled. I had never seen ANYTHING like this self righteous attitude at ANY brick and mortar, down to them telling bald faced lies in response to parent complaints to the Georgia DOE. I additionally heard about questionable grading practices, teacher providing test answers to children, dropping grades when the children did poorly. You can’t trust these people. They need to have their charter revoked to make room for a new, more ethical cyber school to take its place.
Sandy Springs parent
November 16th, 2012
4:07 am
The real truth needs to be known about GCA, it is a major gift of taxpayer dollars to the home schooling crowd. It is clearly not open to all parents. It is not open to parents who must work outside the home. The model basically requires the parent to. Become the teacher. I enrolled my 4th grader in it. I naively though that she would have a real time teacher on the other side of the connection ( I anticipated the proprietary software they bragged about in their sales pitches would be some
Thing like meeting 123) where students and teachers could do problems interactively on a screen like a white board and different kids questions could be answered in real time. Then I am told the day before classes start that is not the case. That they were not interactively and not in real time, the lesson. She also informed us that she had 48 hours to respond to a question, via e-mail. So what was I to do with a frustratrated kid with add and it was not my intention to homeschool. Then the kicker, he tells me she me she had been home schooling her own two children. With this she could do that and get paid a teachers salary. But she had expected a normal 35 of so students that a you mind in elementary school. They had assigned her 150+ students. She told me that she was only required to meet with each student via phone for about 10 minutes every two weeks. After the second week I withdrew my daughter from this fraud. Oh yes, you had to pay extra for language, and arts crafts. You were also expected to Pay extra and sign you child up fore at least one of two gymnastics or soccer classes to meet the PE requirements. Whey did not want to give me money back after 2 days for the Spanish and art extr classes A had paid for. I only got it bak back after I told them I would just contact Brian Williams with NBC NEWS , I TOLD THEM I WENT to college with him they could google it. They sent my money back the next day.
They are a big rip off, only loved my home schoolers that get what they hd to pay for pay for prior for free.
mountain man
November 16th, 2012
7:45 am
“ALL of these children must by law be taught together in one classroom with “regular” children who do not have these disabilities.”
One of the biggest mistakes they ever made.
Janet Mendez
November 16th, 2012
2:21 pm
My son is a GCA student…He was passed to 3rd grade even though he was on a 1st grade reading level thanks to “no child left behind”. Even though he attended a small school and I volunteered I was never may aware of any educational options.Thank goodness I discovered GCA!!! Within 10 weeks he was up 2 grade levels in reading and he continues to success.My child,my tax dollars,MY CHOICE.
Thankful to GCA
November 16th, 2012
2:31 pm
I am so thankful to have a choice for my children. Not all of us can say that we live in a school district that can meet our children’s needs (educational, social-emotional, etc). I commend the work done by Matt Arkin and his staff. They’ve reached amazing results even when faced by obstacles listed above in the article (via the DOE).
My child has grown in so many ways. GCA curriculum has sparked so many interests in what I hope to be a life-long learner and a productive member of our society.
Proud GCA Parent
November 16th, 2012
2:32 pm
I am a proud parent of two GCA students and I can’t tell you how much we love this school. We previously attended a big-name private school in the ATL area which was not attending to the educational needs of my children. We switched to GCA two years ago and have seen significant advancements in both children. GCA administrators, staff and teachers are extremely attentive and want our children to succeed. It’s absolutely amazing! I do not understand why someone would want to block our school choice and speak so poorly about a wonderful school. Brick-and-mortar schools are not for everyone. GCA is on top of everything and I am a proud supporter.
B. Jacobs
November 16th, 2012
2:32 pm
I do not have a traditional “special needs” child. However, my child is an accelerated learner. He was so bored in his brick and mortar elementary school that he begged to be homeschooled. He timed himself at school and he independently read over 90 minutes a day. He said he did this while waiting on the other students to finish their work. We chose GCA and we have had a wonderful experience. GCA allows him to learn at his pace and to go more in-depth into the topics in which he has a higher interest. We love what this public charter school has to offer.
GCA Parent
November 16th, 2012
2:34 pm
While my child is not special needs she is a GCA student. The school has gone ABOVE and BEYOND my expectations for my daughters education. This is our second year at GCA. A few years ago we realized the public school we are zoned for is not an option. After that we began wasting thousands of dollars on a private school that did not live up to my expectations for education or environment. GCA is the decision we made. I have been nothing but impressed by the classes, material, and helpfulness of the teachers.
Athena
November 16th, 2012
2:38 pm
@All,
GCA is my only choose for my two kids. We are a military family who moved here at the beginning of the school year. After going to the our local public school and looking at the curriculum I found out that my son is significantly ahead of his peers. They would of been teaching him things he had learned the year prior in California. So they suggested that we move him to 3rd grade if I was concerned about him getting bored or frustrated. When I asked if they had programs for gifted kids and the gal laughed at me asking me if I knew that our country was in a financial crisis. She informed me that all of those programs had been cut. That the next option for my son was to put him in the local Charter school. So I attempted to do so but they were already full for the year. They told me about GCA. After alot of research I found out that this was the best option for my children. They would have all the support of public school with all the benefits of homeschooling. We have been doing this for 4 months and I am in love with the program. They are there anytime I need them. The curriculum is child based and he can work at his own pace. Without GCA both of my boys would struggle with school because of the fact that school districts are do not have standard curriculum. I hope that nothing happens to GCA because without them alot of kids that do not meet the cookie cutter outline that Public schools rely on, they will fall through the cracks.
Proud GCA Parent
November 16th, 2012
2:39 pm
To the Sandy Springs Parent ~ We have attended GCA for two years and have never had fees for extras. No charge for PE, language or art so I don’t know how long ago you tried to attend. I just think some people are going to choose to be miserable in life and play the “poor me” role all the time. The teachers are amazing, the software and live classes are very interactive and my children love them. I am not the teacher at all. I am just part of the home support staff and I do work full time from home.Both children are now exceeding in every subject under the CRCT state testing. Can’t say enough good things about GCA!
GCA Mom
November 16th, 2012
2:47 pm
So many people have an opinion about GCA. Some of these people have never taken the time to actually learn about the school. My daughter is enrolled in Kindergarten at GCA. This school has been a blessing to our family. I taught in the public school system for almost ten years. I have been there, done that. I was a good teacher (still am), with good test scores, my kids respected me, etc…. I would NEVER put my child in a brick and mortar public school. It is not because I don’t want her to learn to deal with different types of people. It is because I don’t think she should have to be in that environment to meet different types of people. We are in several different homeschool groups where she meets people of different ages, races, and religious beliefs. Unfortunately schools are not like they were when I was in school. The parents are less involved and kids think they are entitled and should be able to do and say whatever they want. That is not how I am raising my child and I do not want her to learn those behaviors. I want to teach her the values and morals that a lot of people in our society do not have anymore. I don’t see why people are getting so upset over GCA. If you don’t like, don’t enroll your child in that school. I really don’t see how anyone could read the description and talk with an enrollment advisor and not understand that the parent is the learning coach. They were very upfront about all of that. Everything they told me about the school is 100% accurate. The teachers and the administration have been very open, honest, and helpful. We are very thankful for GCA. We will continue to support our school and our teachers. Again, if you are not a fan of online schools, don’t enroll your child there, but also don’t make it a mission to make it to where my child can’t go there. If I don’t like your child’s school, I will just stay away. I will not try to make it my life mission to get your child’s school to close just because I don’t understand or agree with it.
Kat
November 16th, 2012
2:49 pm
Sandy Springs parent,
I do not know what school you were involved with, but I highly doubt it was GCA.
You do not pay for any GCA classes, they are state-funded. You also do not have to “pay extra” for arts or language classes. PE does not have to be enrollment in gymnastics lessons or team sports, it can be as simple as the whole family taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes, or working out and doing jumping jacks, as long as it is timed and supervised.
I have five students enrolled in GCA in my home. They do have classes in real time, and interact both with their teachers and other students. They solve math problems together on the white board, they spell words and edit writing samples. They even recite the Pledge of Allegiance together.
If for some reason they cannot attend the live classes, the sessions are recorded, and they can view them later at a time that works for us. I have phone numbers for all of our teachers, and I have met several of them in person. They have never been anything but professional and helpful to us.
I am sorry you seem to have had a negative experience with an online school, but nothing you describe bears any resemblance to what I have seen over the past two school years with GCA.
I was one of “those wacky homeschoolers” when I was a poor unsocialized kid. However, I did manage to learn to communicate respectfully with others, even when we disagree about things. I home schooled my kids for several years, until it got to the point where keeping up with five different grade levels worth of courses was too much for my organizational skills. I then did what every good parent does: I decided to re-evaluate our learning situation, and find something that would meet our needs. We considered public school, private school (not practical, since we still needed to be able to eat as well as educate our children), and virtual public school. We figured it could not hurt to try virtual school, and if it didn’t work for us we would re-evaluate again, and try something else. As it happens, virtual school did help. As for those who claim it’s not “really” home schooling: when you are sitting on my couch drilling my child on spelling words, and helping with math practice, you may tell me whether or not I home school.
This article seems to indicate GCA is working to improve their Special Education performance, and hopefully this will be resolved for the benefit of all the families involved.
Angie
November 16th, 2012
3:25 pm
I am a GCA parent and many children need a different education that brick and mortar schools. My daughter thrives with GCA, and would be bored in traditional school, aside from the bullying and social garbage that goes on in high school
mom of special needs son
November 16th, 2012
4:04 pm
GCA has been a blessing for our family! It took 2 years, 5 suspensions, and many sleepless nights to get my son identified as having a disability in a brick and mortar setting. GCA not only anticipates his every need, but responds appropriately and swiftly to his needs. Instead of forcing my child to fit into a mold or a class that he would best be served, GCA has created a customized educational experience that suits him. No longer are we forced to pick a one size fits all class that might help him, but instead GCA gives him what he needs and it’s not dependent on what might or might not be offered in a B&M setting. Love GCA, teachers and administration!!!
Sandra Figueiredo
November 16th, 2012
4:38 pm
Cyber academy saved my son and allows him to keep going to school even with the heath issue he has.
When he was going to public “normal” schools he was getting sick all the time, bullied and he wanted to quit school, now he has plans to go to college!
I do not understand why people do not stop attacking this type of school and way of teaching when the “normal” system has proven and keeps proving that is not working in several levels: academically, emotionally, financially…….
I’m very thankful that Georgia Cyber Academy exists and will keep my kids on it for as long as we are allowed. They have provided us with understanding and support for the last 2 years (what we never got in brick and mortar school). Thank you GCA!
Juanita Mask
November 16th, 2012
4:49 pm
I can’t speak for all students, but I can certainly stick up for GCA on the behalf of our daughter. She was diagnosed in 2nd grade with a weakness in phonological processing in light of intelligence. In everyday language, that’s dyslexia, characterized by great difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling. She continued to go to brick-and-mortar school, with me tutoring her with the Barton Reading and Spelling System through third grade. For fifth, I really wanted to concentrate on strengthening her weaknesses and be able to tutor her when her brain wasn’t end-of-the-day exhausted. My intention was to do this for just one year. When I questioned the lead special education teacher at her elementary school regarding her opinion, she made the comment, “You can’t beat one-on-one.” With near-dread, we embarked on fourth grade with Georgia Cyber Academy (then Georgia Virtual Academy). Well to make a long story short, our daughter has absolutely thrived, resulting in this being our fifth year with GCA. She’s in eighth grade now and works nearly totally independently, except for her grammar lessons. The last two years, she received a PERFECT score on the Reading section of the CRCT (6th and 7th grades). Last year, she exceeded on all sections of the CRCT. Her teachers have been very responsive to any special education related issues, including approving speech therapy and occupational therapy for her writing issues. The school has even adopted the Barton Reading and Writing System for learning coaches to use with struggling readers, and for that they have my high respect. For many students, they offer the best case education scenario. It’s possible that they have struggled to keep up with the astounding growth in the school, and bear in mind that possibly the majority of students are in GCA because they didn’t thrive in public brick-and-mortar school to begin with. Let’s give GCA our support and encouragement. After all, they dared to think outside the box, and we greatly benefit as a result!
Proud Parent of GCA and a disabled child
November 16th, 2012
8:57 pm
I give a big thumbs up for GCA. B/M schools told me that my child would never learn anything and that I needed to accept that. GCA showed us that this was not true since I pulled him out of the bm school he has learned to read,write and do math just like any other child did just at a slower pace. At the bm school all they did was babysit him they never tried to teach him anything. I want my child to learn not just be look after I don’t need a babysitter but he does need an education and GCA gives him that. If the bm schools would do their jobs then there wouldn’t be a need for homeschooling or any other type of schooling. Just because these kids have special needs doesn’t give anyone a right to say that they can’t learn or to harm them in any way, which is what’s happens to most of these children. My child was abused at school and on the bus and the school thinks this is ok and never does anything about it. Now that I teach him at home he isn’t be abused or he doesn’t have to miss school because he has to go to so many dr appt he still get his education and he is a lot healthier now that he isn’t around the other kids passing germs around. GCA has been a Blessing to us is so many ways just wished I ad done this earlier before he had to go through the abuse.
Juanita Mask
November 16th, 2012
9:58 pm
MODERATOR, PLEASE MAKE THESE CORRECTIONS: I meant “for fourth,” not “for fifth,” if you will please correct my comment. Also, could you please change my name to “Juanita M.” and don’t include my full name? Thanks! One more thing: it should consistently read “Barton Reading and Spelling System,” not “Reading and Writing,” as I mistyped the second time I mentioned it. Thanks!
Angie
November 16th, 2012
10:25 pm
This is our 1st year with GCA. I cant say that I have any complaints with them. Yes, my son falls under the SPED. For us it is the best decision we have made for our son. As for money, we didnt have to pay anything for his PE. We as a family play ball(all sorts) together,and othe outdoor activies and that is counted towards the PE time. And before any of you now-it-alls say anything, YES…it is monitored by adults. His Father is military and PT is done also. As for Foriegn Language, that is part of his schooling as an elective as with B&M schools. With me homeschooling my neice also(3rd grade) her art is an elective also. It is like them being in a B&M classroom same as your kid. My kids dont recieve any answers from their teachers. As their LC(Learning Coach) I get them so I can grade there off line work.
NEWS FLASH!!!!!…..The kids actually DO have books to work from. For years our B&M school didnt have enough books, they had to share with another student or do with out, and still didnt as of last year. Believe me the BOE knew me by first name by the time our oldest was out of middle school(when the problems began).
Lets picture a spider, you have the body and only 4 legs. The body is the office area(big open area, middle school one one side & HS on the other) and the legs house the classrooms. One hallway for middle school students(5-8 grade) and the other 3 hallways for the highschool students. This is our B&M middle & HS. Students are aways crossing paths during school . Can someone say “safety issues”. Thats just one issue with this school.
Understand this, all schools make changes every year, some for the better some for the worse. Depends on how you see it. How things were last year are not sounding like anything that is going on this year with GCA. No school is perfect, but I cant find on here(AJC) anywhere, where the B&M schools are being scrutinized for anything.
Coosabandmom
November 17th, 2012
5:49 pm
@Sandy Springs parent– I don’t know which school you put your child in, but it wasn’t GCA. There is no”sales pitch”, nor are there any charges. This is after all a public school. My child, for the first time in years, has actual books!!! How can a child do homework with no books? Or study for a test? Or better yet, how am I supposed to know how he is doing if he never has homework because there aren’t enough books? I spent 2 years fighting with his middle school after I saw my honor roll child drop to near failing, begging for help. I did everything the teachers asked of me, but they did nothing I asked of them. My son has ADHD, abdominal migraines and extreme testing anxiety. He was on VyVanse, Zoloft and Zantac twice a day. The counselor wouldn’t even return my calls. Then I heard about GCA. Now I can see just how far behind he really is and why he was failing. And his homeroom teacher at GCA has been instrumental in getting him the evaluations that he needs. I watch him everyday watching a live teacher, being called on to answer questions, and I have yet to see a teaching session that does not give the children a chance to ask questions. I don’t know if there’s a time limit on return emails, but every time he has sent one he has been answered in a very reasonable time. No matter how silly it is. Even just asking if the teacher will play a certain song. And with GCA having such a large percentage of special education students, you know that they aren’t going to be the perfect fit for everybody. If they aren’t the right fit for your child, it’s a simple solution. Withdraw them and put them somewhere that is.
GIna Bryan
November 28th, 2012
1:43 pm
My daughter began 8th grade in the public school system, having attended public schools since 1st grade. She had a 540 plan beginning last December that addressed her need for accomodations related to chronic migraines, generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. The counselor she had in the public school system last year was very helpful, but after her retirement at the end of the year, we were unfortunately assigned a counselor who was new to the school. I removed my daughter from the public school 1 month after school began because the new counselor was incompetent. My daughter had also experienced bullying at the public school, which was never dealt with by the administration despite being reported by my daughter and me.
My daughter began receiving her education through GCA, and I am extremely happy with the level of support we have received. I have encountered nothing but positive, helpful, intelligent staff and faculty at GCA. My daughter is quite simply a different child. No longer is she stressed out about going to school and feeling unsafe and being foreced to battle an anxiety-provoking environment consisting of teachers having to spend so much of their time attempting to gain control of their often overcrowded, rowdy classrooms. Now my daughter can focus her energy and attention on learning. Her physical and emotional health has greatly improved as well as a result of being taking out of the school she previously attended. I am so thankful GCA is an option for us.