New York Parents Angry Over Public School Grade

Jim Devor, the father of a fifth-grader at P.S. 58 in Brooklyn - which got a D on its report card- said students there were "strongly invited" to attend Saturday test-prep sessions but have no time to discuss current events like the presidential campaign.

"I'm appalled at how little my child knows about social studies," he said. "They're all obsessed with test prep."

Teaching to the test has so many drawbacks, I am so glad homeschoolers aren't forced to spend valuable learning time doing "test prep". But this only highlights why we must be clear that virtual public schools are not the same as homeschools. Virtual Public Schools are obligated to meet the same standards as brick and mortar public schools including NCLB. I have no problem with parents using virtual public schools if that best meets the needs of their family, but they need to understand that they are not independent homeschoolers.