Virtual Schools An Option for Special Needs?

In the state of Missouri, parents of special needs kids are working very hard to get the right 'fit' of education that assists their child's particular needs. They are very frustrated as the teachers who are 'trained' in special needs ed. have the equivalent of 1 class (See: " Teaching Special Ed Teachers Needs to Happen"; LARRY~Link here to the following post on Missourians Supporting Teaching Excellence) and they are supposedly qualified to facilitate the needs of special ed students. Needless to say, these parents meet one frustration after another. It is truly heartbreaking, as anyone who has witnessed their friend or family member fumble through our inept public education system can testify.

Parents of special needs children located in suburbia, with sufficient educational funds and plenty of schools, still find their special needs are unmet.

One alternative that should be made available to these parents is virtual schools. Allowing the parents to make the choice on behalf of their children is KEY. Virtual schools have the ability to address specific interests and serve educational desires and needs that a typical 'one-size-fits-all' public school simply does not have the resources to do. By redirecting the funds that support these children, the state could actually save money in a number of ways. By allowing children with autism to gain academic advancement on their own time and at their own pace, maybe the parents, student and teacher could enjoy a little stress relief and get focussed on education again!