Dear Friends of Virtual Learning:

We know everyone is gearing up for another exciting school year and we will continue to keep you apprised about virtual learning in Indianapolis and National gains.

We'll routinely be sending web alerts that contain helpful news and information to help keep you better informed.

If you have questions, or suggestions for future content, let us know by sending an email to info@indianavirtualfamilies.org.

We're looking forward to another great school year ahead.

STATE NEWS:

Plans continue to move forward on the new virtual pilot program. To learn more about the pilot, visit www.k12.com/ha. Join Hoosier Academy as they host "Meet-and-Greet" socials in Muncie and Indianapolis. For specifics go to http://www.k12.com/ha/events_calendar/#begindate:1:meet_and_greet_socials.

If you are interested in enrolling, call the Indianapolis Learning Center with questions regarding the virtual pilot school. Call 317.547.1400 or send an email to generalinfo@hoosieracademy.org.

Tribstar.com had a piece focusing on a back to school rally in Terre Haute. There's one quote from the Indiana Department of Education that we wholeheartedly endorse:

NATIONAL UPDATE:

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER NATIONALLY BROADCAST ADDRESS TO STUDENTS ON SEPT. 8

The President will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school on Sept. 8, the first day of school for many children across America. The Department of Education is encouraging educators, students and parents to use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strong. The speech will be broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov at 1 p.m. EDT. The Department of Education has also asked a group of U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education in their lives. The suggested classroom activities will be available on www.ed.gov.

Here's how the President described the speech in a recent interview with 11 year-old reporter Damon Weaver yesterday: "On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system, and why it's so important for the country. And so I hope everybody tunes in."

The event can be watched live on Tuesday, September 8 at 1 p.m. EDT by visiting www.whitehouse.gov.

The Wall Street Journal <http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970203863204574346500121979982-lMyQjAxMDA5MDEwMzExNDMyWj.html> reports that the U.S. Education Department is engaged in a high-pressure campaign to get states to lift limits on charter schools through a $4 billion education fund, Race to the Top, that encourages more charters as one of the criteria for states to qualify for a piece of the pie. TN and Chicago are discussed.

White House Offers Cash for Charter School Changes
KSHB - 08/17/2009,
WASHINGTON, D.C. - States are rewriting laws affecting charter schools in order to get a bigger slice of the federal education funding pie. The New York Times reported Monday that Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee are among the states that have changes laws to meet President Obama's school improvement agenda.