Michigan Virtual announced today that Michigan Virtual for Students recorded its 100,000th student enrollment during the current spring semester. Since it was launched in 2000, Michigan Virtual has worked in partnership with Michigan’s K-12 schools to provide online courses, interactive tools, career services and professional development programs for Michigan students, teachers, administrators and school district support personnel. Michigan Virtual operates the Michigan Virtual, one of the largest virtual schools in the nation.
Michigan Virtual course enrollments and registrations have grown consistently and at an accelerating pace over the past 12 years. Jamey Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of Michigan Virtual, said “We are very proud of our accomplishments in partnering with Michigan schools to help thousands of students with their education. We are excited about the future and believe online learning has reached a tipping point as an instructional strategy that helps support effective student learning.”
Governor Rick Snyder, who in his April 2011 Special Message on Education Reform urged that Michigan educators make greater use of online learning to restructure education across the state, commended Michigan Virtual for its leadership efforts and noted that “the growing enrollments in Michigan Virtual online courses clearly demonstrates the fact that students and parents need and want new options in education.”
Michigan Virtual offers a broad range of core academic online courses aligned with state standards, college-level equivalent courses, remedial, enrichment and world language courses and other innovative online experiences. It has worked with over 600 Michigan public and nonpublic schools, public school academies and home schools throughout the state to benefit Michigan’s students, parents and educators.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan, an Michigan Virtual Board member, expressed that “the Michigan Virtual for Students is a great asset for Michigan’s students and the entire system of education, and we need to do more to ensure that every student has an opportunity to engage in online learning.”
The Michigan Virtual for Students was established through Public Act 232 of 2000 to serve both traditional and nontraditional students with online learning courses, services and resources. It works with urban, suburban and rural schools to create learning environments that are free from traditional time, place and pace considerations.
About Michigan Virtual
Michigan Virtual is a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established by the State of Michigan in 1998 to serve as a champion for online learning. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual for Students and Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute.
