Managing Virtual Schools: The Canadian Experience

Abstract

Although Canada has offered alternative forms of schooling through distance education for over a century, the advent of online schooling options has helped overcome two of the major obstacles: lack of sufficient current resources and lack of regular interaction. Today across Canada, online schooling options tend to be focused at the high school sector. However, in Alberta there are more than 19 schools, most of which offer elementary and secondary courses. The schools mainly serve their local population, and the issues administrators face include marketing and obtaining infrastructure support and facilities, as well as ensuring quality of curricula and student-teacher interaction, meeting parental concerns, and provision of professional development.