State school board repeals online graduation requirements

The State Board of Education has repealed several pending education rules.

This comes following the rejection of Student’s Come First reform laws props 1, 2 and 3.

On Monday, the board met together to cancel the requirement for students to complete at least two online courses before graduation.

Each school district can decide for themselves how much technology they want to bring into the classroom. But that doesn’t mean online requirements will disappear.

State Education Superintendent Tom Luna said he wants to make sure students are, “prepared to go onto post-secondary education and the workforce, which includes the skills to learn and work in a digital environment. After the vote Nov. 6, we will need to come at this with a different process and through a different approach.”

“I thought that was a good thing for the State Board of Education to do,” said Sugar Salem Superintendent Alan Dunn.

His district has had a strong online education program for three years.

It would seem he would be upset about less strict guidelines when it comes to technology, but instead Dunn said he’s standing by the change and here’s why.

“I think that it should be the responsibility of the local board of education to make that decision of whether or not students are required to have one or more online classes,” said Dunn.

As for the remainder of this school year, Dunn said Sugar Salem will continue with it’s required online classes.

They don’t have a teacher to take on that many students, if they did make a change.

Next year may be a different story though.

Dunn said there will be another proposal for at least one mandatory online credit, but now it’s all up to the local board to decide.

“The state is no longer requiring two credits, so we’ll just have to see what our board of education says,” said Dunn.

Also Monday, the State Board of Education approved the repeal of a rule to incorporate parent and principal input as part of teacher evaluations.

The board will meet again Tuesday to discuss teacher certification.