Dear Commons Community,

This past Monday, November 16, 2009, the New York State Regents entertained a number of new policies, most of which related to teacher preparation and certification. However, tucked within these proposals was a recommendation that the Regents allow K-12 school districts to offer and/or enroll their students in virtual (online) courses. Until now, school districts had to ask for a waiver of the “seat time” policy that requires all K-12 students to be physically in classrooms in order for school districts to receive state aid. While the details still need to be worked out, this can open up a whole level of online learning in NYS K-12 schools.

Tony