Online public school students in Wisconsin have been fighting to keep the state's virtual schools open for many months now. After the courts stopped funding to the state's largest online school (Wisconsin Virtual Academy) in December, families have been worried that more schools will follow. Consider this recent account of the ongoing debate:

"Hundreds of students and their parents begged Wisconsin lawmakers Wednesday to take quick action to keep their virtual charter schools open. Students, parents and superintendents who operate the schools said state law must be changed or a dozen of the schools that enroll 3,000 students could be forced to close as early as next school year... They are popular with families who want their students to learn from home, but they are opposed by teachers' unions and critics who complain they drain money from traditional public schools."

Wisconsin has more online K-12 public schools than most states. However, its students are now worried about their future. Hopefully, lawmakers will give the online programs a break. States need to make sure that online schools meet standards and give students a high-quality education. However, it is ridiculous to ban online schools because they cannot follow antiquated regulations designed for traditional school programs.