High school students have had virtual choices before, but full time virtual learning will be offered for elementary and middle school students as well.
“A lot of parents are interested in virtual learning depending on how the conditions may be as summer comes to a close and we are starting to look at school opening,” said Anoka-Hennepin’s Chief Technology officer, Joel VerDuin.
After months of experience forced by the pandemic, VerDuin says some students perform better than others in the virtual mode.
“Some of the students that we see thrive better and tend to do better at managing their time, managing their responsibilities, and taking a bit more responsibility,” says VerDuin. “You’re at home you’ve got other decisions that may interrupt what you’re doing. For some kids being at home is a distraction. And so what I find for the virtual world is like the in person learning world. Students are very, very different.”
VerDuin says about 700 families in the district have expressed an interest in fall virtual learning. They are trying to minimize the number of teachers with both in person and online students. Spring Lake Park schools are also expanding online school to all grade levels as an option in the fall.
