Alaska education officials this week announced a new statewide virtual school, the result of a sole source $525,000 contract with an embattled Florida public online education provider — a move the statewide teachers’ union says it was blindsided by and opposes.
The Alaska Statewide Virtual School will allow K-12 students kept home by the coronavirus pandemic to take dozens of courses ranging from kindergarten social studies to high school computer programming online, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said Tuesday.
"While the world around us is scrambling with uncertainty, I believe our students and teachers can and will re-imagine teaching and learning,” said Michael Johnson, commissioner of the education department.
School districts are not mandated to use the virtual computer engineering careers programs, and classes will be “optional” for all families, the education department said.
The new online school will be operated by the Florida Virtual School, a public agency considered a pioneer in online education since the 1990s — but recently plagued by a management scandal.The statewide teachers’ union said it was “surprised” to learn of the decision. Educators and even school superintendents reportedly learned about the new online offerings from the press release.
The Alaska Statewide Virtual School will allow K-12 students kept home by the coronavirus pandemic to take dozens of courses ranging from kindergarten social studies to high school computer programming online, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development said Tuesday.
"While the world around us is scrambling with uncertainty, I believe our students and teachers can and will re-imagine teaching and learning,” said Michael Johnson, commissioner of the education department.
School districts are not mandated to use the virtual computer engineering careers programs, and classes will be “optional” for all families, the education department said.
The new online school will be operated by the Florida Virtual School, a public agency considered a pioneer in online education since the 1990s — but recently plagued by a management scandal.The statewide teachers’ union said it was “surprised” to learn of the decision. Educators and even school superintendents reportedly learned about the new online offerings from the press release.
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