About Online School

In September 2009, four schools will be making one of the most controversial, even somewhat applauded moves in history by forming the network known as The Online School for Girls.

As the name implies, these schools will be restricted in attendance to K-12 girls interested in taking classes online and only students from the consortium will be able to take classes, and their supporters believe this segregation is necessary and even more effective than combined education because girls learn different from boys.

The purpose of this online-school centric article is to provide information regarding each educational institute and their beliefs on segregation so that you may make your own informed decision. Is this smarter education?

The Consortium’s Four Online Schools

1. Harpeth Hall: Established in 1951 and with a 100% college matriculation rate, Nashville, TNs Harpeth Hall all-girls prep school could be considered one of the top prep schools in the United States.
   
   Harpeth Hall Online School will be offer math, the sciences, and humanities for the opening year of the Online School for Girls, with several other classes planned for the 2010-2011 year if their online venture year is a success.
2. Holton-Arms: “I will find a way or make one” is the motto of Bethesda, MDs Holton-Arms School. This all-girl prep school is considered the best in Maryland; quite possibly the East Coast.
   It has an extremely esteemed history, with First Ladies Susan Ford and Jacqueline-Kennedy Onassis among the past student roster. Yearly tuition is $27,000.
   Holton-Arms will offer six online classes for the 2009-2010 year, and Gazette.net quotes the Holton-Arms technology director as stating about their online ventures: E-learning for us is something that’s part of an emerging trend, a natural next step.
3. Laurel School: Cleveland, Ohio’s high-caliber and dual-campus Laurel School, established in 1896, is one of the best K-12 schools in the US for technology.
   The Laurel School is partially known for having a rather selective admission process, and they are also home to the Center for Research on Girls, which was one of the first groups of the consortium to conceptualize the Online School for Girls.
   After aiding in the conceptualization, The Laurel School volunteered to be part of the program. The Laurel School is very open-minded and dispels the anti-male stereotype of all-girls schools; they encourage the young ladies to form relationship with young gentlemen as they can.
   The Laurel is very socially-intelligent at its core and will offer two virtual courses for its pilot year as an online school.
4. Westover School: Connecticut’s Westover School, with an endowment of over $42,000,000, Westover is one of the richest schools in the US.

   Westover is located in an upscale region of Stamford, and is notable for producing excellent young female artists and actresses. They will offer two classes this September when the Online School for Girls opens, and are already supremely confident that the Online School for Girls will be successful.

There you have it; four of the most prestigious girls school in the US forming an elite consortium of online school consisting of the best, the brightest and the wealthiest.

Are you enrolled in an all-girls online school? How do you find the experience? Drop a comment and let us know.