Will Brownsberger — State Senator, Democrat, 2d Suffolk and Middlesex District

Hi Will, This is my fault for not taking the time over the years to ask you about your position in person. You certainly are always available. I know others who feel the same way that I do so I thought I would ask on this snowy morning to get some clarification on this issue. [...]

The present House Education Chair, Rep. Alice Peisch, and her predecessor, Rep. Marty Walz, have taken a strong leadership role in shaping an approach to expanding virtual education in Massachusetts.

Rep. Marty Walz and I have sponsored legislation (House 1090) to create virtual charter schools. This legislation is coming up for a hearing before the legislature’s education committee next Tuesday, June 21. Your thoughts on the legislation would be much appreciated.

My education agenda for 2011-2 is about action but also about continued discussion and reflection.

We had a good meeting on education technology directions last night in Belmont. For me, the strongest take away was that we need to think mainly about liberating creative energy.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is not only failing to lead, but affirmatively inhibiting progress in online learning.

Massachusetts is moving forward to allow the creation of virtual schools. The progress is good news, although we may still be moving too cautiously.

This post is a summary of the answers to this question that came out during a forum in Belmont in March with Commisioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Mitchell Chester.

Online learning is exploding at the post-secondary level and as a result a number of post-secondary institutions are developing skills at delivering online products.  It seems inevitable that these institutions will begin to seek to break the artificial regulatory boundary between secondary and post-secondary education.

Inventory of emerging online learning products.

Inventory of resources about online learning products.

Online learning means learning that is primarily reliant on the internet — as opposed to a physical classroom — for delivery of content.  There are many varieties of online learning, involving varying degrees of personal contact.  Online learning is growing rapidly at both the K12 and post-secondary levels.

Inventory of decisions that school districts need to consider as they introduce online learning.