The Fremont County School District #25 Administrative Team has discussed adding some kind of virtual component to the district for the last two years, according to Riverton Middle School Principal Brant Nyberg. The conversation about adding a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) became more solidified with timelines and details during the 2018-19 school year. In August, the Board of Education gave approval to begin the planning phase of a VLE for the district.
Brant shared, they are looking at the “blended model” of a VLE for District #25. That means a portion of the student’s day would be spent on campus and the other portion would be virtual. It has a much better track record for students than the completely virtual model.
According to Brant, “This is about trying to provide the best education you can for students.” Some students may learn better online than they do in a classroom or students who need more challenges than a traditional classroom can give them. Virtual school can help those students. “We want to be responsive to the needs they [students] have, it’s not the 80s anymore. Kids learn differently, families look different.”, said Brant.
Brant explained, he spent the summer researching VLE and connecting with other schools in Wyoming that offer this type of program to their students. Wyoming is very well organized and has tight guidelines for VLE programs. That is key to a successful program among other things, noted Brant.
The goal is to have the VLE up and running by next fall. However, they want to make sure it is done right and not just done fast. That is why they are asking for community input and help with building this program from the ground up. The FCSD #25 Administrative Team shared, “It is our goal to have representation from all community and district stakeholders in order to create the best possible program for our students.”
The FCSD #25 Administrative Team is inviting everyone to their first meeting about mission and vision planning for the VLE on Monday, September 30th, 2019.
If you have questions or would like to attend the meeting, please reach out to RMS Principal Brant Nyberg at (307) 856-9443 or [email protected].