CUSDWatch Comment

This will be an entirely new board - no one from any of the current Boards will be eligible.

Board Agenda page 1249

New Board Training will be developed by Connections Academy with Greater Capacity Inc.

Board Agenda page 1249

Governance for Success: This locally based independent board has overall governance authority over the charter school.

This should be a NEW CHARTER.

Connections Academy is a division of Connections Education, LLC, which is owned by the UK-based, publicly-traded international media conglomerate Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON, NYSE:PSO).

The company's website says it provides "free" services since it does not charge students, but the services are far from free as they divert taxpayer dollars from the public school system to a private for-profit firm, Connections Education, that made an estimated $190 million in revenue in 2011.^[1] (Pearson's total revenues in 2014 were approximately $7.75 billion, with an adjusted operating profit of approximately $1.15 billion.)^[2]

Connections Academy contracts with public school districts and charter schools to provide online classes for K-12 students.^[3] Connections Academy operated 33 schools in 2013 and had more than 62,000 "Full Time Equivalent students" in 2014.^[2] But some of those schools are failing. In September 2013, Politico reported that, "Ohio’s six biggest cyber schools all got Fs on their state progress reports, meaning students learned nowhere near a year’s worth of material in a year of studying online." Ohio Connections Academy received $19.2 million in taxpayer funds for 3,123 students, but those students are failing to meet adequate yearly progress by large margins (-11.3 in reading, -15.7 in math, -17.2 overall.)^[4]

Connections Academy has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and other organizations promoting a for-profit educational model from which it stands to benefit financially. Both on its own and as a member of ALEC, Connections Academy has pushed a national agenda to replace brick and mortar classrooms with computers and replace actual teachers with "virtual" teachers. Many have questioned the company's extraordinary revenues, generated at taxpayers' expense.^[5] There has also been criticism of the quality of the teachers, the lack of government oversight and democratic accountability, as well as the appropriateness of taking children as young as five out of a classroom of their peers and putting them in front of a computer screen, according to the Washington Post.^[6][7]

For many years, there was simply no data on virtual school performance. In 2012-13, state data became available indicating poor student achievement, as well as high student turnover, high student-teacher radios, uncertified teachers in some states (such as Florida),^[8] and a funding formula that often gives companies extended periods of public funds for a child when the child may only stay at the cyber school for a brief period of time.^[9] This new information has led some educators to call for a moratorium on the growth of full-time charter schools until policy-makers can assess the reasons for their significant van failure to educate children.^[10]

1979

Sylvan Learning Center

The first Sylvan Learning Center was founded by W. Berry Fowler in Portland Oregon in 1979.

1983 

Sylvan Learning Centers

Amid dozens of growing franchises, Sylvan Learning Centers moved its corporate headquarters from Portland, Oregon to Bellevue, Washington

1986

Sylvan Learning Centers

With over 500 Franchises, Sylvan Learning Systems and went Public on the NASDAQ in 1986. Sylvan used its funds to develop corporate learning centers in key cities

1987

KinderCare 

By 1987 KinderCare Learning Centers owned the majority of stock in Sylvan Learning Systems Inc.  Fowler sold the remainder of his private company to KinderCare Learning Centers, an Alabama based chain of child-care facilities for $8 million dollars. KinderCare that wanted to expand its scope of business. KinderCare moved the Corporate Headquarters to Alabama.

1990

KinderCare

KinderCare enters into a joint venture with Douglas Becker and R. Christopher Hoehn-Saric in which the two acquire a 50 percent share of Sylvan Learning Centers

1991

Sylvan Learning Systems Inc

Sylvan enters into a deal, making the company the only commercial testing partner for Educational Testing Services.

1992 

KinderCare

In 1992 KinderCare files for bankruptcy

1993

Sylvan Learning Systems Inc.

Douglas Becker and R. Christopher Hoehn-Saric buy out the other half of Sylvan Learning Systems and take the company public.

1995

Sylvan Prometric

In 1995 Sylvan Learning Systems Inc purchased Drake Prometric L.P. in a cash stock deal worth $44.5 million. The business was renamed Sylvan Prometric

1999 

Sylvan Learning Systems Inc

In 1999 Sylvan Learning Systems Inc began buying small colleges in other countries.

2000

Sylvan Learning Systems

In 2000 Sylvan Learning Systems Inc. sells Sylvan Prometric to the Thompson Corporation in order to refocus on teaching rather than testing.

2000

Sylvan Ventures

Sylvan Ventures; based in Baltimore Maryland, was founded in 2000. The firm made incubation and early stage investments in Web-based training and educational services companies. Sylvan Ventures became the venture capital investment arm for Sylvan Learning Systems.

2001

Connections Academy 

In 2001 Connections Academy starts as a separate business unit of Sylvan Ventures as a turnkey virtual school program. Connections Academy was co-founded by education leaders Barbara Dreyer, Mickey Revenaugh, and Dr. Steven Guttentag.

Connections Academy operates online or ‘virtual’ public schools across the United States. These virtual charter schools are accredited and funded by the relevant state and are free to parents and students who choose a virtual school in place of a traditional public institution or other schooling options.

*CUSD refers to "Connections Education", not "Connections Academy"

There is no Secretary of State filing for "Connections Education"

There is Connections Academy, Inc

05-02-03 Statement and Designation by a Foreign Corporation

03-18-04 Statement of Information

07-05-05 Statement of Information

05-15-05 Certificate of Surrender of right to transact Intrastate Business

2001

EdVerify 

In 2001, Sylvan Ventures invested $5 million in EdVerify Inc. of Florida. EdVerify provides software and Web-based delivery for automating degree and enrollment verifications for colleges, universities and the business community.

2002

National Technological University

In 2002 Sylvan Learning Systems Inc purchased National Technological University for $14.5 million dollars.

National Technological University was founded in 1984 as the first accredited “virtual” university. As a pioneer and leading distance-learning organization, National Technological University was the first accredited “virtual” university granting master’s degrees to individuals who have completed their program of study while working as full-time employees.

2002

Connections Academy Inc. 

Connection Academy begins supporting its first online schools in Wisconsin and Colorado.

2003

Apollo Management/Educate Inc.

In 2003 Sylvan Learning Centers sold its K-12 businesses in a management-led buyout to form Educate, Inc. for $275 - $300 million. Hoehn-Saric assumed leadership of the new company, and private equity firm Apollo Management LP provided funding.

The tutoring portion bought by Apollo will no longer operate as a publicly traded company. It will continue to operate the Sylvan-brand tutoring centers, but its corporate name will become Educate Inc.

2004

California Connections Academy

California Connections Academy is established which included Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. 

California Connections Academy currently has four schools managed by three separate corporations, with three separate Board of Directors. The Material Revisions that are being made seek to merge all of these separate schools under a single corporation with one Board of Directors:

2004

Educate Inc.

In 2004 Sylvan Learning Centers filed an initial Public Offering with maximum proceeds of $288 million under the name Educate Inc.

Educate Inc. is the umbrella entity for Sylva Learning Centers, Catapult Learning and eSylvan. 

Sylva Learning Centers focus on K-12 Tutoring Services

Catapult Learning

eSylvan

2004

Laureate Education

In 2004 Sylvan Learning Systems Inc changed its name to Laureate Education to better reflect the company's new focus on running career-oriented universities outside the United States 

Becker helmed the new company, and took it public.

2004

Catapult Learning

Sylvan Education Solutions a leading provider of supplemental instructional programs and support services to public and non-public schools, has announced it is changing its name, effective immediately, to Catapult Learning(TM).

2005

Educate Inc

In 2005, Educate, Inc. was once again involved in a buyout deal to the tune of $535 million. In this case, Hoehn-Saric led a group of investors that also included Citigroup Private Equity and Sterling Capital Partners.

Educate, Inc. still exists as the parent company of Sylvan Learning.

2007

Education Testing Services

In 2007 Education Testing Services purchases Sylvan Prometric from the Thompson Corporation. 

Prometric is currently a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Education Testing Services, allowing Education Testing Services to maintain its non-profit status.

2007

Laureate Education

In 2007, Laureate Education went private in a $3.8 billion deal

2009

International Connections aka National Connections

Connections Academy opens International Connections aka National Connections Academy private school, available to K–12 students everywhere. 

2011

Pearson/Connections Education

Pearson acquires Connections Education for an estimated $400 million in cash. At the time Connections Education had annual revenues approaching $190 million, with 30% year -over-year revenue growth.  

Connections Education is Pearson Online & Blended Learning K-12

Connections Education is an accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education for students in grades K-12, and online learning solutions to educational institutions globally. Through tuition-free public schools, full-time and private school programs, and turnkey online courses for bricks and mortar schools

Connections Academy is a full-time virtual Public Charter School

Connections Learning meets the needs of schools, school districts, and other organizations looking to develop and enhance their online learning programs by making courses and technologies available to educational institutions and other organizations in the US and globally. It supports the development of blended learning environments which combine classroom and online instruction and will further broaden Pearson’s range of school services across curriculum materials, assessment and learning technologies.

National Connections Academy is a private online school that serves students throughout the US and internationally.

Sourcewatch explains how Connections operates nationwide:

Connections Academy is a division of Connections Education, LLC, which is owned by the UK-based, publicly-traded international media conglomerate Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON, NYSE:PSO).

The company's website says it provides "free" services since it does not charge students, but the services are far from free as they divert taxpayer dollars from the public school system to a private for-profit firm, Connections Education, that made an estimated $190 million in revenue in 2011.[1] (Pearson's total revenues in 2014 were approximately $7.75 billion, with an adjusted operating profit of approximately $1.15 billion.)[2]

Connections Academy contracts with public school districts and charter schools to provide online classes for K-12 students.[3] Connections Academy operated 33 schools in 2013 and had more than 62,000 "Full Time Equivalent students" in 2014.[2] But some of those schools are failing. In September 2013, Politico reported that, "Ohio’s six biggest cyber schools all got Fs on their state progress reports, meaning students learned nowhere near a year’s worth of material in a year of studying online." Ohio Connections Academy received $19.2 million in taxpayer funds for 3,123 students, but those students are failing to meet adequate yearly progress by large margins (-11.3 in reading, -15.7 in math, -17.2 overall.)[4]

Connections Academy has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and other organizations promoting a for-profit educational model from which it stands to benefit financially. Both on its own and as a member of ALEC, Connections Academy has pushed a national agenda to replace brick and mortar classrooms with computers and replace actual teachers with "virtual" teachers. Many have questioned the company's extraordinary revenues, generated at taxpayers' expense.[5] There has also been criticism of the quality of the teachers, the lack of government oversight and democratic accountability, as well as the appropriateness of taking children as young as five out of a classroom of their peers and putting them in front of a computer screen, according to the Washington Post.[6][7]

Pearson Connexus: Online courses for brick and mortar schools

2013

Pearson

Pearson announces a new $225.7 million dollar restructuring plan to invest in digital services and emerging markets.

The Restructuring put Pearson International and Pearson North America under one Pearson company that would organize around three Global lines of business- School- Higher Education and Professional.

2013

Connexus

Connection Education, LLC registers the Trade Mark Connexus

2014

Pearson

Pearson announced that it had cut 4,000 jobs. representing 10% of its workforce.

2015

Laureate

In the fall of 2015, Laureate became a public benefit corporation and filed for an IPO to go public once again. 

2017 

Pearson Online & Blended Learning K–12

Connections Education transitions to Pearson Online & Blended Learning K–12, delivering online learning solutions to schools and families around the world via Connections Academy virtual schools, an international private school, and more.

2018 

California Connections Academy currently has four schools managed by three separate corporations, with three separate Board of Directors. The Material Revisions that are being made seek to merge these separate schools under a single corporation with one Board of Directors: