Decatur Public Schools
110 cedar street
Decatur, Michigan 49045

Phone: 269-423-6800
Fax: 269-423-6849
Superintendent: Patrick Creagan

March 22, 2019

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Student access to any time and any place learning options has expanded under a new law in Michigan. Section 21f of Public Act 60 of 2013 allows students in the middle and high school to take up to two courses online per academic term with parental consent and school permission. Michigan is the seventh state in the U.S. to enable statewide choice at the course level through online learning options. Online learning holds great promise as an instructional approach to expand and customize learning opportunities for students. However, it is substantially different from face-to-face instruction and usually works best when thoughtful planning supports individual enrollment decisions. I encourage you to talk with your student to examine if online learning is a good fit for her or him.

To help you prepare for making the decision about whether your student has the characteristics to be successful learning online, we recommend you review the Parent Guide to Online Learning at https://www.mivu.org/Portals/0/GD_Parent2013_Final.pdf. The Guide examines how online learning supports next generation learning models, poses practical planning questions, provides a preparation checklist, offers advice for parents and includes an online learner readiness rubric. This guide will help you prepare for a conversation with your son or daughter.

Students may select online courses from our local district catalog or from the statewide catalog of online course titles available at https://micourses.org/. We are developing guidelines and procedures to accommodate student/parent requests to take online courses. We are excited about this opportunity, but equally cautious given the amount of media hype and misperceptions associated with online learning, especially from students. Please direct your questions related to online courses to me by calling 423-6800. I will be able to explain the process being used by Decatur Public Schools to implement the new polices that expand online learning options for students.

Sincerely,

Patrick Creagan
Superintendent

The Decatur Public Schools is in compliance with all state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in admissions or employment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic. Complaints under Title IX, Section 504, the American with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act are to be directed to Kim Cugnetti, 110 Cedar Street, Decatur, MI 49045, (269) 423-6951.