During U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's back-to-school bus tour, StateImpact asked readers to submit questions for him, of which, one reader asked an especially pertinent question regarding virtual academies.

This particular reader voiced concerns about investing public money into virtual schools, instead of the public education system. This was Duncan's answer: "I think technology is here to stay?I think our young people, this is how they're growing up, this is how they're learning. And we shouldn't run from it. We shouldn't hide from it. We should embrace it and I think we really need to think about how we do that and hold people accountable for results."

Although Duncan did highlight one of the great benefits of receiving a virtual school education in being able to keep up with our ever evolving world, he failed to mention one key point in the question which needs to be addressed.

Virtual schools are public schools. These schools use state certified teachers, administer state testing, and receive state funding, as would any other state public school.

Virtual schools provide another education option, allowing for greater school choice and an individualized education for students.