Virtual Classrooms

An online learning program at Willmar Public Schools in Minnesota is helping students stay on track even if they can't attend classes in person, for example because immigration enforcement makes them feel unsafe.

Under state law, New Jersey public school students must be in classrooms for the day to be counted, with exceptions for when schools are closed more than three consecutive days due to a declared state of emergency.

Remote learning days have been unavoidable due to severe weather, but Buffalo school officials say the district still has issues with device access and inconsistent rules that beg for a more organized strategy.

Indiana State University’s new Sycamore Grove platform aims to give online learners a centralized space for peer connection and academic support as enrollment in remote learning programs booms.

The 2026 Technology Innovation and LEAD Awards recognized K-12 districts and leaders for systemwide technology initiatives touching everything from blended learning to AI training and school board collaboration.

On the lasting impact of remote learning on students’ education, some educators say they now recognize the importance of limiting time on laptops and building closer relationships with their students.

Spending critical high school years online left many students unprepared for college, both academically and socially. Those setbacks have been compounded by lowered grading standards and emerging technologies like AI.

About 500,000 students across more than 1,100 schools in New York City had online classes Monday, after schools stress-tested the technology and prepared their virtual classrooms in anticipation of inclement weather.

Faced with falling enrollment and a growing budget deficit, United Independent School District is expanding its early college program and preparing to offer a virtual high school program, open to any student in Texas.

With Coursera’s network of university and industry leaders and Udemy’s network of subject-matter experts, the two online learning platforms will create one larger company focused on in-demand skills in fields like AI.

The Louisiana Department of Education is using a five-year $15 million federal grant to connect about 4,500 first- and second-grade students to live video tutors through Air Reading.

Encouraged by a new state law that endorses hybrid and online schooling, Northside Independent School District is looking for a vendor to help start a virtual school next fall.

A Michigan school district approved a $1.1 million contract with Proximity Learning to fill teaching vacancies with virtual educators, to be aided by trained “facilitators” who will monitor and help in the classroom.

Comparing the fall semester before COVID to this fall semester, UND has seen a 60 percent increase in students taking only online courses and a 98 percent increase in students taking both online and face-to-face courses.

Starting next year, Cy-Fair ISD in Texas will offer a fully online school, a program to accommodate scheduling conflicts and advanced courses, and a program with tuition-based courses outside of the regular school day.

An analysis by PennLive found that the state's two largest cyber schools are substantially less transparent than similarly sized traditional school districts, while some smaller cyber charters are even more transparent.

Inundated with parent interest in a virtual schooling option, Commonwealth Charter Academy hasn't been too concerned about transparency or responsiveness in its board meetings, according to some parents and staff.

Some former employees of Commonwealth Charter Academy say they were asked to develop online curricula that could be sold to other states rather than focusing on Pennsylvania's standards and history.