Michigan Virtual‘s research arm, the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute, conducted a study of the similarities and differences across Virtual School Leadership Alliance member programs with a focus on teacher recruitment, hiring, training, support, evaluation and retention.
Teachers are one of the key building blocks of education systems. Schools, districts and other education programs’ processes for recruitment, licensure, hiring, training and supporting teachers make a crucial difference in the health of a learning environment. For this reason, programs that hire and/or support teachers have a vested interest in them from recruitment through the length of their employment.
“From recruiting to hiring, mentoring to supporting, evaluating to retaining, this report provides the most comprehensive examination of teacher infrastructure within virtual schools,” said Jamey Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of Michigan Virtual.
The key to retaining these teachers are effectively designed training and support components of a program. Based on the significance of this topic, the Virtual School Leadership Alliance (Alliance) made teacher support and retention their first major research effort. The Alliance is an association of the chiefs of leading virtual schools across the country that provides collegial support and collaborative opportunities for the individual members and member organizations to share resources, services and expertise.
The study entitled Recruiting, Training, Supporting, and Evaluating Online Teachers: A Cross-case Analysis of Teaching Infrastructure Across Virtual Schools explores teacher infrastructure practices in eight of the Alliance members, including Georgia Virtual School, Idaho Digital Learning Academy, Illinois Virtual School, Michigan Virtual for Students, Montana Digital Academy, The Virtual High School, Wisconsin eSchool Network and Wisconsin Virtual School.
“As demonstrated by its enthusiastic involvement in this research on teacher infrastructure, the Alliance is committed to participating in and conducting research to understand where the field is now and where it’s going in the future,” said John Watson, CEO, Evergreen Education Group.
Due to the length of the culminating report, the eight cases will be published separately, about one every other week in the following order: Introduction to the Study/Georgia Virtual School; Idaho Digital Learning Academy; Illinois Virtual School, Michigan Virtual for Students, Montana Digital Academy; The Virtual High School; Wisconsin eSchool Network; and Wisconsin Virtual School/Discussion & Implications.
“This report explores intricate qualities of teacher infrastructure practices from one program to another and shares unique practices that could help other virtual schools across the country and around the world,” said Dr. Cheryl Charlton, Alliance member and CEO and Superintendent of Idaho Digital Learning.
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.
About the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance
The Virtual School Leadership Alliance is an association of the chiefs of leading virtual schools across the country that provides collegial support and collaborative opportunities for the individual members and member organizations to share resources, services, and expertise. Members of the Alliance for 2014-15 include Georgia Virtual Learning, Howard County Public School System, Idaho Digital Learning, IDEAL-New Mexico, Illinois Virtual School, Indiana Online Academy, Michigan Virtual for Students, Montana Digital Academy, North Carolina Virtual Public School, the Virtual High School, the Wisconsin eSchool Network, Wisconsin Virtual School and Virtual SC. Evergreen Education Group provides strategic guidance, conducts research, and coordinates the activities of the Alliance to ensure productive communication, collaboration, and value for each member. Visit https://www.virtuallearningalliance.org/ to learn more.
