Here is the testimony of Paul Selby as given before the Pennsylvania Department of Education on December 16, 2002.
As one of the board members of Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS), I want to thank you for this time you have given to us to share, for a few minutes, our vision for PALCS.
In my resume, I have 29 years with UNISYS Corporation doing various hardware and software design and support jobs, but my most challenging and rewarding job that my wife and I have, is raising and training our 6 children.
We have spent 5 of the past 7 years training our children using home school material. We have enjoyed the challenges and rewards of home schooling our children.
Last year we enrolled our 6 children in a PA charter school, which started last year. Despite numerous setbacks the charter school went through last year, our family found the cyber school experience a great success. My children enjoyed the following things from the cyber school experience:
- Broader school courses for the students
- Interaction between the student, teacher, and base facilitator
- Use of computers and Internet access (in addition to regular school books and reading material) in cyber school training experiences and
- The ability to monitor children’s course material and grade
We want PA Leadership to build on our current cyber school experiences by implementing some of the following ideas:
- PA Leadership will offer a fully contained, fully interactive online classroom / teacher experience for students throughout Pennsylvania.
- PA Leadership will provide challenging complete courses. Many of our courses will be more rigorous than a normal school course and all of our courses will provide extra curricular opportunities. These extra opportunities may provide Advanced Placement credit.
- Live teachers will host live classrooms, breakout chatrooms, individual instruction and daily e-mail interaction in all course work.
- All course work will be instantly graded. Grades will be electronically recorded in a continuous grade book that will be accessible to student and parent at all times.
- We will be seeking teachers with life experience in the subject taught. Seventy-five percent of teachers will have a PA Teacher’s Certification, as required by law.
- Many courses will have guest lecturers who are experts in their field.
- PA Leadership teachers will help design their own courses drawing upon the best resources available.
- PA Leadership teachers will partner with the finest online curriculum resource companies in the nation.
We will seek to build on the uniqueness of the school through:
- Expanded training and preparation in using the Internet, computers, and emerging technologies for the home facilitator, student, and teachers.
- Individual adapting of courses and training for each student at his or her ability level with an individual program of instruction for each student.
- An expanded school culture through camps or conferences and regional network groups. In our case, based on a desire to grow leaders, and
- Increased interaction between teachers, students, and Home Facilitator.
I believe PA Leadership has the vision and desire to grow excellent students and leaders for Pennsylvania and the world.