Virtual Education

podcastED: Advocate says nation’s first religious charter school will fill important niche

  On this episode, senior writer Lisa Buie talks with Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma. Founded in 2017 by Oklahoma’s Catholic bishops, the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma serves as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Oklahoma on matters of public policy. The Conference operates[Read More…]

High court’s refusal to consider appeal means charter schools’ status will likely be decided by future test case

Charter schools are still public schools, at least for now. The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it would not hear Charter Day School, Inc.  v. Peltier, a closely watched case involving a North Carolina charter school’s dress code but that could have had broader implications for charter schools. A[Read More…]

Religious virtual schools in Florida hoping to reap benefits of HB1

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1 into law, he praised it as “the largest expansion of education choice not only in this state but in the history of these United States.” During committee hearings, lawmakers called it “transformational.” The sweeping legislation extended eligibility for the Sunshine State’s 20-year-old[Read More…]

Florida Virtual School launches AI learning pathways for high school students

Editor’s note: This news release was provided by Florida Virtual School. To listen to a reimaginED podcast interview with FLVS senior manager for curriculum development Amy Heflin, click here. As the world races toward an artificial intelligence-driven future, Florida Virtual School unveils one of the first AI programs of study,[Read More…]

podcastED: Florida Virtual School manager hopes new courses will teach students to embrace AI

On this episode, reimaginED senior writer Lisa Buie talks with Amy Heflin, senior manager for STEM curriculum at Florida Virtual School. Heflin discusses a new high school course program in artificial intelligence and how it will offer students a foundational knowledge of AI and its applications. Her interview comes a[Read More…]

Virtual charter school board member mom to Florida lawmakers: ‘Empower parents for greater customization’

Melissa Ley left her job as a teacher at a public school to let her daughters learn at home after determining the public schools they attended were not the best fit for them. At the time, Ley’s family didn’t qualify for an education choice scholarship, so she enrolled the girls[Read More…]

podcastED: Veteran Florida Virtual School teacher looks at the past, present and future of virtual education

On this episode, reimaginED senior writer Lisa Buie talks with Mary Mitchell, an award-winning educator at Florida Virtual School. Mitchell, who started teaching in 1998, was among the first to join the faculty at the state’s premier online public school and wrote one of its earliest biology courses. She has[Read More…]

Florida proposes ‘transformational’ legislation that would extend education savings accounts to all K-12 students

A bill that Florida leaders are calling “transformational” would greatly expand the state’s 21-year-old education choice scholarship program by opening eligibility to all K-12 students in the Sunshine State and empowering parents to customize their children’s learning. “Florida is about expanding freedom and opportunity,” said House Speaker Paul Renner, R[Read More…]