Editorials

In 2006, the state Board of Education began implementing Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide (ACCESS), a bold program designed to have distance learning available in every high school by 2010-11.

Thanks to $11 million from last year's $1 billion education bond issue, this goal will be accomplished a year ahead of schedule.

The advantage of the online and video-conferencing courses is obvious.

With the advent of First Choice, students will be automatically placed in what was once called the "college track" when they are freshmen. Under this, they are required to take two years of a foreign language and at least one distance-learning course. However, many small, rural schools — and some city schools that lack the local support that larger, wealthier schools enjoy — have not been able to offer foreign-language courses and do not have the technology to meet the distance-learning requirement.

These same schools have not been able to offer the Advanced Placement courses that allow students to get college credit for courses taken in high school.

Everyone knew that distance learning would level the playing field in Alabama education. But again it appeared that the money would not be there for a while — a lesson in delayed gratification that students should not have to learn at the hands of the state.

Now students will not have to wait much longer. In the meantime, many of the older generation have questions about distance learning.

• Is it as effective as the old student-teacher method?

• With technology changing so rapidly, will the Legislature allocate the money to keep our computers and programs up to date?

• To whom will parents complain when Johnny or Jane makes an "F"? Will they complain to a Web site?

The commitment to keeping technology up to date is the responsibility of the Legislature — with consistent and forceful input from the state superintendent of education.

As for learning, despite reservations held by traditionalists, students learn online every day. They are computer savvy or can quickly become so. What is new and frightening to many adults is normal to the students of today. Give them the tools and they will do the job.

As for complaints?

Parents will also need to become computer literate. It's a sure bet they will.