Digital Learning in Illinois
by Collin Hitt The Chicago Tribune carried a good story over the weekend about online learning in the Chicago area. Technology-led learning will be playing a larger role in education in the area. Included was a quote from yours truly, regarding the uneven spread of online learning statewide. “There is no real, robust, state-led effort in online...
by Collin Hitt
The Chicago Tribune carried a good story over the weekend about online learning in the Chicago area. Technology-led learning will be playing a larger role in education in the area. Included was a quote from yours truly, regarding the uneven spread of online learning statewide.
“There is no real, robust, state-led effort in online learning yet in Illinois … (but) I can say with confidence that at this time next year, legislators in Springfield will be talking about online learning as a policy priority,” said Collin Hitt of the Illinois Policy Institute.
Internet-based education has grown slowly in Illinois. The state introduced a virtual high school in 2001, intended mainly for students who wanted to take advanced classes their own schools didn’t offer.
Today, its online program offers 120 courses to grades 5 through 12, but only about 1,000 of the state’s 1.2 million public school students in that age range sign up each semester.
One reason why I am so bullish is because of a new national campaign, Digital Learning Now, which the Illinois Policy Institute is a founding member of. The campaign is being coordinated by the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Here is the full press release from today.
The Foundation for Excellence in Education is pleased to announce the launch of the newly revamped website, www.DigitalLearningNow.com.
Meet the Digital Leaders:
Jeanne Allen, The Center for Education Reform
David Armstrong, Broward College
Sally Bachofer, New York State Education Department
Robyn Bagley, Open High School of Utah
John Bailey, Whiteboard Advisors
Bruno Behrend, The Heartland Institute
Tony Bennet, Indiana Superintendent of Education
Andrew Benson, Ohio Education Matters
Representative Michael Bileca, Florida House of Representatives
Rosemarie Cappabianca, McGraw Hill Education
Jaime Casap, Google
Shafeen Charania, 21K12
Teresa Chasteen, Worldwide Interactive Network
Kevin Chavous, Attorney
Stacey Childress, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Representative William Coley, Ohio House of Representatives
Representative Richard Corcoran, Florida House of Representatives
Senator Rich Crandall, Arizona State Senate
John Danner, Rocketship Education
Randy DeHoff, GOAL Academy
Carl Dorvil, Group Excellence
Lisa Duty Ph. D., Knowledgeworks
Rose Fernandez, National Parent Network for Online Learning
Senator Anitere Flores, Florida State Senate
Representative Erik Fresen, Florida House of Representatives
Lisa Gillis, Integrated Educational Strategies, Inc.
Deborah A. Gist, Rhode Island Commissioner of Education
Thomas Greaves, The Greaves Group, LLC
David Ethan Greenberg, Denver School of Science & Technology
Russell D. Greiff, Grockit, Inc.
Frances Haithcock, Chancellor Florida Board of Education
Kevin Hall, Charter School Growth Fund
Leah Hamilton, Carnegie Corporation
Idit Harel Caperton, World Wide Workshop Foundation
Nelson Heller, EdNET/Heller Report
Collin Hitt, Illinois Policy Institute
Michael Horn, Innosight Institute
Kathy Hurley, Pearson Foundation
Mark Kaplan, Florida Board of Education
Gary Kidd, Belgeade Montana Public Schools
Dr. Chip Kimball, Lake Washington School District
Joel Klein, News Corporation
Jeff Kwitowski, K12 Inc.
Dane Linn, National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices
Roberto Martinez, Florida Board of Education
Tim McEwen, Archipelago Learning
Gregory McGinity, The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation
Deborah McGriff, New School Venture Fund
Doug Mesecar, Sylvan Learning
Bob Moore, Dell, Inc
Diana Moore, Freedom Foundation
David Myers, American Institutes for Research
David J. Myslinski, American Legislative Exchange Council
The Hon. Barbara O’Brien, The Piton Foundation
Fiona O’Carroll, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Ronald J. Packard, K12 Inc.
Trevor Packer, Advanced Placement Program
John Padget, Florida Board of Education
Sol Pelavin, American Institutes for Research
Representative Scott Plakon, Florida House of Representatives
Deborah Quazzo, NeXtAdvisors
Rae Raffin-Mugnolo, SMART Technologies
Greg Richmond, National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Gerard Robinson, Virginia Secretary of Education
Senator Chip Rogers, Georgia State Senate
Joel Rose
Mark Schilling, American Federation for Children/Alliance for School Choice
Cynthia B. Schmeiser, Education Consultant
Mark Schneiderman, Software & Information Industry Association
Bryan Setser, OpenEd Solutions
Kathleen Shanahan, Florida Board of Education
Representative Jabar Shumate, Oklahoma House of Representatives
Eric Smith, Florida Commissioner of Education
Greg Smith, Archipelago Learning
Heather Staker, Innosight Institute
Representative Kelli Stargel, Florida House of Representatives
Jane Swift, Governor, Massachusetts 2001-2003
Cheryl Vedoe, Apex Learning
Jeff Wahl, EdisonLearning
Sherrelle Walker, Scientific Learning Corporation
Julie Young, Florida Virtual School
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