Catholic students may participate in virtual school courses

Catholic students in grades K-5 and grades 9-12 are eligible to participate in a new program – Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP) - sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

According to DESE, state funded seats are still available. State funded class seats are free. Once the state funded class seats are filled, students may still participate by paying a fee.

MoVIP guides students through courses taught by Missouri state certified teachers. Courses are delivered over the internet. Teachers communicate with students and parents on a regular basis through phone, email, on-line chats, instant messaging, and discussion forums. The credit earned by taking a MoVIP course is entered into the student’s record by the local school.Catholic schools that participate will be asked by DESE to provide the name of a site facilitator. This person will be expected to assist the student or the virtual teacher as questions arise.MoVIP is designed to assist students in taking courses not offered by their school or in which there is a class scheduling conflict. MoVIP also provides courses to alternative or at-risk students. There are also enrichment courses as well as advance placement courses that count for college credit.

Catholic schools interested in making MoVIP available to it’s students should visit the MoVIP website at http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/movip.

Governor Matt Blunt will be seeking additional funds for MoVIP when the legislature reconvenes in January 2008. Beginning in school year 2008 – 2009, middle school classes will also be offered.

“Dream Act” fails to move out of U.S. Senate

On Wednesday, October 24, 2007, the U.S. Senate fell eight votes short of moving the “Dream Act” forward. The legislation would have prvided a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, the chief sponsor of the bill, said the bill had been defeated amid “confusion, distortion and vitriol” that has permeated the national debate on immigration.

Durbin’s proposal, the “Dream Act,” would have allowed young illegal immigrants to earn permanent residency if they came to the country before turning 16, been in the country for five years, graduated from an American high school and completed two years of college or two years in the military, and also be of “good moral character” with no criminal background.

“Don’t take your anger on illegal immigration out on children who have nothing to say about this,” Sen. Durbin pleaded with his colleagues. “They were brought to this country...They’ve beaten the odds. We need them.”

Opponents said the bill would reward illegal behavior by granting amnesty to those who come here illegally.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Dream Act would have applied to fewer than 100,000 immigrants out of the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

Sens. Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-MO, and Claire McCaskill, D-MO, both voted no.