Thoughts on virtual high schools

While the idea of being a virtual teacher does not immediately appeal to me, I have to admit that if faced with the prospect of having no job, or a virtual one, I would take the latter. I would prefer to be an in-person teacher, but in the interest of examining the prospect, I'm attempting to consider the positives for student learning in the virtual arena. Positive point: Kids need to learn how to live in this wide web of a world. Moreover, maybe some kids who are "discipline problems" would actually benefit from this - let's not sell them short and say they don't have the self discipline to do this - maybe their "discipline problems" are because of us. Maybe, if given the chance to get their work done when the time is convenient for them, they would be able to get down to the business of getting educated. After all, if it is social control that they are resisting, perhaps a virtual classroom is just the thing for them. I think we need to do everything in our power to educate everybody, and if that means setting up more virtual high schools, as much as it pains me to say it, I think we should do it. Yes, social and emotional contact is wonderful, but so is learning how to analyze a work of literature. Perhaps if a kid can get the academic learning s/he needs, the social control will follow. Of course, people still need people and isolating people who can't "get along" is not the answer (or what I am suggesting). I'm just saying, if it works for some people (particularly people for whom traditional high school is NOT working), then it is definitely worth a shot.