In Case You Missed It ...
May 7, 2009 4:28 pm US/Central
Local Private School To Open Online-Only Campus
ARGYLE (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Around this time most parents begin seriously thinking about changing their child's school for the upcoming school year. Perhaps you're considering private school or home school. But in these tough times, how can a family afford it?
A North Texas private school, ranked number one in Texas the last four out of five years, is launching a new academy this fall for half the price of regular tuition.
Liberty Christian teacher Cynthia Vick has taught math for 25 years in a typical classroom setting. But a couple of years ago, when she started teaching online classes as well, she knew she was on to something.
"This is the medium for the generation of today that they are very comfortable with. As a teacher, it took me more to adjust than it did for them," Vick said.
Students' comfort with technology, mixed with the recent invention of key software, led Liberty Christian School's President and Founder Rodney Haire to explore the possibility of launching a full-time, online school.
"We had people calling from all over the U.S. saying, 'I really want to go to a private school and there's none available for me,'" said Dr. Haire.
So Dr. Haire hired technology consultant Rob Shiflet to see if it was possible. After several months of research, he discovered it was something he could implement right away.
In the fall of 2009, Liberty will launch the first of its kind, online only campus for grades 6-12. The school will be held to the same standards that have taken Dr. Haire's traditional school to the top rankings in Texas for less than half of the price of a typical Liberty Christian education.
Click here for more information on the online campus.
Liberty's traditional campus in Argyle costs roughly $15,000 per year. The online academy will cost $6,000. The amount will cover books, all fees (including things such as a frozen frog to be used for dissection in biology class) and the special computer software that will make learning and interacting possible.
Shiflet is now the headmaster of the online academy. He explained how the school will work: Kids show up to class via their home computer and web cam at a designated start time. They log in and class begins in real-time, allowing students to interact with each other and their teachers along the way.
A key component of this online academy is partnering with a student's local church or community organization to ensure he or she is involved in extra-curricular activities.
With such a large number of Korean exchange students currently attending school at the Argyle campus, plans are already in the works to offer the online school in Korea and eventually around the world.
"That way more students can get an American, Christian education without leaving their family and culture," Dr. Haire added.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
RAW VIDEO: 100-Mile Police Chase
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
