Pittsfield Public Schools Virtual Academy received registrations for 259 students across grades K-12 last week, short by 65 students of the enrollment caps created by the School Committee.
PITTSFIELD â The School Committee has voted in favor of opening a stand-alone virtual school with capacity for over 300 students next school year, but, because of budgetary considerations, it offered only a one-year commitment to the program.
The idea of offering an all-online school program in Pittsfield dates to last summer, when districts across the state developed virtual school options for students during the coronavirus pandemic.
Pittsfield Public Schools launched the all-online Pittsfield Public Virtual Academy, which accepted students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with a focus on medically vulnerable children, led by Principal Carl Tillona.
The offering was popular, according to feedback from a group of parents whose children were enrolled in the program, School Committee member William Cameron said at a recent public meeting, and they asked school leaders to retain such a pandemic-era offering.
Virtual Academy in Greenfield hires new digital learning director, licenses first virtual teacher in state
Recorder/Paul FranzCarl Tillona-Virtual School Principal talks with educators at the Davis St School Administration Building PAUL FRANZ
Published: 8/23/2016 10:34:01 PM
GREENFIELD A local teacher has become the first state-licensed virtual education teacher in Massachusetts, according to school staff.
The Massachusetts Virtual Academy in Greenfield is making more moves in online education, with the hiring of a new director of digital learning and the licensing of Shannon Beauregard as a virtual education teacher by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Beauregard has met all necessary requirements of the Performance Review Program for Initial Licensure, administered by DESE. Previously, teachers in virtual schools have all been relicensed while teaching in brick-and-mortar schools.