Dropping and picking up your children from school may become a thing of the past. Instead, instruction could come to your home.

"A cyber school is a school where you don't have students inside of a physical classroom," says Gary Naeyaert from the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.

Naeyaert says qualified educators would teach the same curriculum as in a traditional school, but learning would be done online. Naeyaert says this model best serves at-risk students.

"Students who have already dropped out of the traditional school system or are in a situation where because of their personal life, or where they work, or what their family situation is where they just can't attend school from 8 until 3," says Naeyaert.

Naeyaert assures that one-on-one communication between teacher and student would remain intact through video chats and emails. But others are a bit more skeptical of this new online learning.

"You can't just put a student in front of a computer and expect them to learn," says Doug Pratt from the Michigan Education Association.

Pratt says a cyber school could be a good alternative for some people but is not effective for most students.

"You can't just record a lecture and sit everyone down, and magically, they're going to learn. Every student is different, they are going to have different questions," says Pratt.

But Naeyaert says it is less likely for a student to fall behind in an online environment.

"In a typical classroom, you might have 10% of the class active and engaged and the other 10% just going through the motions. In a cyber environment, in order to participate, everyone has to comment, everyone has to log on," says Naeyaert.

No matter the debate, the launching of the two cyber pilot schools will speak for itself. Its success - or failure - could alter the face of Michigan education.

The two pilots stem from education reform laws that Gov. Granholm signed into legislation in early January. The laws limit enrollment in each of the pilot cyber schools to 1,000 students each. Once established, Naeyaert says enrollment will be open to all student on a first-come first-serve basis.