A 2015 report from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that students enrolled in online charter schools aren’t performing as well as their peers, and many observers have argued that online-only charters should be put out of business. Are today’s virtual charter schools as bad as their reputation suggests? What, if any, are their virtues? Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart, makes the case for allowing virtual charters, and Greg Richmond, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, presents the other side.

• Tom Vander Ark: Online Charters Expand Learning Options

• Greg Richmond: Online Charters Mostly Don’t Work