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 hester
E. Finn Jr. is the John M. Olin Fellow at the Manhattan
Institute and president of the
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. Working with William Bennett and
David Gelernter, he has most recently added to his list of responsibilities,
K12, an online
school. NRO's Kathryn Lopez talked to him about the new venture.
Kathryn Jean Lopez: What's your functional
role at K12?
Chester E. Finn Jr.: I'm a member of
the board, and chairman of the education advisory committee, a blue-ribbon
group of education experts from around the country.
Kathryn Jean Lopez: Is K12 aimed mostly
at homeschoolers?
Chester E. Finn Jr.: Homeschoolers
are a natural audience, but so are "virtual" charter schools —
and millions of families that may want to supplement their children's
regular schooling by gaining access to, say, a terrific math or
art program.
Incidentally, we find more and more "part-time homeschoolers" who
send their children to the local public (or private or charter)
school for one or two subjects or for an extracurricular activity,
while handling the rest at home.
We think K12 will be especially well suited to those families who
want to get more involved in their kids' education but maybe aren't
ready to homeschool in every subject, five days a week.
Lopez: Do you think K12 will wind up
giving more credibility to homeschooling?
Finn: Homeschooling is fast gaining
its own credibility, but many parents who homeschool (or are considering
it) could benefit from a terrific, ready-to-use education program.
Lopez: How many have enrolled so far?
Finn: We've just begun accepting enrollments.
This is a good question to ask me in September! Meanwhile, if someone
you know would like to enroll, please direct them to www.k12.com
or www.pavcs.org,
the website for the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School.
Lopez: Are you concerned that the cost
of materials will limit K12's reach?
Finn: Considering the quality of the
program, it's going to be a real bargain for parents. But we are
also seeking alliances with schools and after-school programs and
philanthropists that can help bring this program within reach of
thousands of low-income families. (And of course for those who enroll
via a "virtual" charter school, there's no charge at all.)
Lopez: Sandra Feldman, president of
the American Federation of Teachers, has said about K12: "An excellent
elementary and secondary education cannot be based solely in technology.
We have serious questions whether K12 will offer the proper in-person
content and technical support." What do you say to that?
Finn: Sandy is overdoing it, as usual.
In no way is this program "based solely in technology". The parent
(or other caring adult) is central in mediating a child's K12 educational
experience. And the program itself has teachers on call as needed.
One thing Bill Bennett has insisted upon from day one is that K12
use the technology to foster a solid education, not to replace one.
Lopez: How much of the curriculum is
based on the book you wrote with Bill Bennett and John Cribb, The
Educated Child: A Parent's Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade?
Finn: That's the curriculum we began
with. But of course the book just set forth the skeleton. K12's
own curriculum team, headed by Bennett and John Holdren (formerly
with E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Foundation), has developed a staggering
amount of new curriculum — and its quality is terrific.
Lopez: What kind of impact do you anticipate
K12 having on the current "education debate"?
Finn: This is a wonderful way to increase
the educational options available to parents and children. In time,
technology is going to transform elementary/secondary education
in America (and the world). We will help to redefine what is meant
by "school." The challenge is to keep the best of traditional education
but deliver it in new and more effective ways.
Lopez: A year from now, what would
you hope to have accomplished?
Finn: We expect to have thousands of
youngsters enrolled in kindergarten, first, and second grade, getting
a terrific education there. No doubt we'll be constantly refining
the program on the basis of their experience. A year hence we should
also be ready to roll with grades three through five.
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