What is the Monroe Virtual Learning Academy?
The Monroe Virtual Learning Academy (MVLA) is a fully online educational program for the entire 2020-21 school year. This program is overseen, assessed, and managed by Monroe teachers. It is delivered through Canvas (the MSD online learning management system), where students are able to access content for the 2020-21 school year. While the curriculum and learning materials for this program are from a third-party online curriculum provider (Florida Virtual Learning School), they are fully aligned with Washington State learning standards.
How does MVLA differ from MSD distance learning?
Students in MVLA use online curriculum and materials from the Florida Virtual School, but they are overseen and taught by Monroe School District teachers. MVLA students are placed with teachers and students from throughout the district, but not necessarily those from their home school. To ensure program continuity, it is our hope that students who enroll in MVLA will stay in the program for the entire school year.
MSD distance learning refers to a phased approach where students begin the year learning remotely from home and then transition back into building classrooms when it is deemed safe to do so. Students in this model are assigned to teachers from their home school and placed in classes with other students from their home school. In this model, teachers use standard Monroe School District curriculum.
See our “At-a-glance” sheet for more information.
Why did you choose an online school in Florida and not something local with Monroe teachers?
We are using only the curriculum and materials from FVLS; our own Monroe School District teachers are teaching the content. FLVS is an OSPI-approved online course provider. We believe it was the best fit for our district because it integrates with all of our systems and has the robust curriculum we need for K-12. In addition, FLVS allows us to differentiate for students of varying ability levels. The instruction for this model is a combination of live online learning with a teacher and peers as well as independent learning that can be completed when it fits a student’s daily schedule.
Does MVLA run on the same holiday/break schedule as the rest of the district?
Yes. The MVLA is a part of the Monroe School District and has the same calendar.
Can we move from the MVLA to Monroe's hybrid model at any time?
While we will do everything possible to accommodate students’ needs, we cannot promise that we will be able to move students from MVLA to MSD’s hybrid model. It all depends on our ability to accommodate students and teachers moving from online to hybrid/hybrid to online and how many students in which grades/subjects want to move. (We cannot overload teachers and classes.) It also needs to be done at set times; it would be too disruptive to have students constantly moving back and forth. We've identified school year quarters and semesters as natural opportunities to make these changes. Again, we want to do everything we can to help students and families as they decide what works best for them. We simply need to do it in a way that does not impact the overall learning experience of all our students.
Why is it a 1-year commitment? Why can't we switch back to in-person if/when that becomes available?
We want to be able to accommodate all of our families' needs. We also staff our schools in September with the number of teachers needed for the number of students in each model. If enough students in the right grade bands decide to move to the hybrid model and then back to an in-person school setting, we could potentially have the appropriate number of teachers transition with them. Unfortunately, this is not something we can promise but will work very hard to accommodate. Please see the response to the question above.
Do students in the virtual learning academy have daily Zoom meetings with their assigned teachers (similar to the students in the distance learning program)?
This depends on the grade level and the subject. We prioritize daily Zoom meetings with our early learners who may struggle with independent learning. For our more experienced students, there will be teacher check-ins and support, but they may not be daily.
If a special education student chooses the fully virtual learning academy, will accommodations be made in the virtual academy classes? Will the familiar special education staff from MSD be the ones supporting them?
Yes! The Monroe Virtual Learning Academy is part of the Monroe School District, and as such all students have the same rights as students engaged in our hybrid model and fully in-class model. This includes students with IEPs, our ELL students, and our students in the Highly Capable program. Depending on the number of students with IEPs who are enrolled in Monroe Virtual Academy, students' IEP services will either be served by their usual service provider or a different special education teacher who has all virtual academy students.
Can we see what courses are offered before we commit to the MVLA?
We still have to determine if we will be uploading the whole catalogue or a few specific classes. We are committed to offering core classes (reading, writing, math, science, and world languages) for our students. We may add more classes later depending on demand.
https://www.flvsglobal.net/students-families/courses/
https://www.flvsglobal.net/elementary/
Does the Florida online school curriculum have anything to do with the State of Florida’s education system? Florida ranks in the bottom half of the U.S.
There are a number of online schools across the country and the world that serve students beyond the location of their central office. FLVS is an OSPI-approved online course provider that aligns with the Common Core State Standards. While FLVS offers districts the option to use their teachers, we are choosing to use our amazing MSD staff to deliver the curriculum.
What is the cost per student for the MVLA?
The cost (to the district) for using the FLVS content within Canvas with our Monroe teachers is approximately $173/student/year. There is an additional cost for each course that we upload to Canvas ($500/course with discounts for bulk uploads).
Do MVLA students have access to extracurricular activities at their school?
While we will do what we can to include MVLA students in extracurricular activities, they will have less access to school-based activities that take place during the school day. This is because MVLA and distance learning follow different daily schedules.
Approximately how many students per teacher at Monroe in this model?
Teachers have approximately the same student count as they would normally have.
What if I want more than 4 credit-bearing courses each semester in high school (for example, if I need to catch up on credits or want to accelerate?
High school students enrolled in MVLA have the option to co-enroll at Leaders in Learning High School in order to take additional coursework. To apply, begin by completing the application here.
If my child is signed up for the MVLA, will they be matched/placed with students from their school?
Students enrolled in the MSD Virtual Learning Academy are placed in classes with other students from throughout the district, not necessarily with those from their home school.
If seniors attend their final year via the Monroe Virtual Learning Academy, will they still receive a diploma from Monroe High School?
Yes. Students in the Monroe Virtual Learning Academy are still technically enrolled in Monroe High School and will receive an MHS diploma.
Who can we talk to if we have more specific questions about the virtual learning program?
For more information about MVLA, please contact Kim Whitworth, our Chief Academic Officer, at whitworthk@monroe.wednet.edu. You may also reach out to one of the two principals overseeing the program: Blake Baird, grades 6-12 (bairdb@monroe.wednet.edu), and Jennifer Murphy, grades K-5 (murphyj@monroe.wednet.edu).