Connections Academy is a for-profit corporate provider of online school products and services to virtual schools for grades K-12, including full-time online school. In the United States the company is noted as Connections Academy, and for students abroad it is known as International Connections Academy. Based in Columbia, Maryland, Connections Academy is part of Pearson's Online and Blended Learning K-12 group. Online schools are an alternative to traditional public schools. Similar to charter schools, they are subsidized by the state. Although they contract with many non-profit schools, they are a for-profit corporation.
History
In the spring of 2001, Sylvan Ventures started a separate business unit to create a virtual school program with its first virtual schools in Wisconsin and Colorado. The company first began providing online school services to two schools in the fall of 2002. In September 2004, Connections Academy was sold to an investor group led by Apollo Management, L.P. The company now operates public schools under management contracts from charter schools or school districts.
A new corporate entity called Connections Education was established in early 2011. In this same year, on September 15, 2011, Pearson, an international learning company, acquired Connections Education for more than $400 million.
Connections Education is currently Pearson's Online & Blended Learning division, which delivers the Connections Academy online public school program and other online learning services called Pearson Connexus to educational institutions and other organizations nationwide. A private online school called International Connections Academy serves students across the globe. In 2019 it was announced that UK-based Harrow school would deliver an online education option leveraging Pearson Connexus.
Notable alumni
Ashley Argota, actress and singer
Kiri Baga, figure skater, Minnesota Connections Academy
Karen Chen, figure skater
Nathan Chen, figure skater, California Connections Academy
Ria Cheruvu, child prodigy, Arizona Connections Academy
Eugenia Cooney, internet personality
Alysa Liu, figure skater, California Connections Academy
Grace McCallum, artistic gymnast
Mirai Nagasu, figure skater, Capistrano Connections Academy
Eric Sjoberg, figure skater, Capistrano Connections Academy
Vincent Zhou, figure skater, Capistrano Connections Academy
Notable staff
Cheron Brylski, speechwriter, helped establish Louisiana Connections Academy
Casey J, gospel singer, elementary school math teacher at Georgia Connections Academy
Frank Riggs, politician, founding board president at Arizona Connections Academy
Matt Wingard, politician, spokesman for Oregon Connections Academy