The Blogland, in spite of opposing the political thuggery associated by some school choice backers, is very much in favor of any means by which parents can be provided more education choices for their children.

While vouchers may be some time off from becoming policy, more immediate measures such as charter and virtual charter schools are available now, but under considerable fire by choice opponents.

Even though I have questions about online education, especially at the college level, I've also taken online-based courses during my undergraduate days and taught for a distance education course offered by George Washington University. It's an option worth exploring and developing in the school choice debate.

Charter school backers are crowing over a win last week in the House Ways and Means Committee in which $700 per pupil funding for virtual schools which had been taken out of the budget in sub-committee was restored, bringing per-pupil funding back to a still-paltry $2400 (compared to how much for public schools?).  There were that without this funding some of the virtual schools would be forced to close (we're amazed they could function on that low a level of funding in the first place).  The funding effort was originally backed last year by Sen. Larry Grooms and Rep. Bobby Harrell.

The fight on this vote led by was Rep. Jim Merrill with Reps Annette Young and Chip Limehouse playing key roles.

Here's who voted for this. If you're for more choice in South Carolina education, you may want to thank them for their vote:

Barfield

Bingham

Clyburn

Edge

Herbkersman

Kirsh

Limehouse

Loftis

Littlejohn

Lucas

Merrill

Neilson

Simrill

M. Smith

Young