10/07/09 — Emerging Minds Back to School Update

We hope you’ve enjoyed the summer and had plenty of quality family time together! Now that school is well underway again we wanted to give you some updates about what Emerging Minds is up to and how you can become involved.

About Us
Emerging Minds of Maryland is a non-profit grass roots advocacy group that believes that online learning should be an option for all families in the state of Maryland, whether their child is in Kindergarten or about to graduate from high school. Emerging Minds of Maryland supports all the families and children who feel that virtual learning is the best education option for their family and that it should be available through the public school system. Our goal is to educate parents who want to learn more about this option, policy makers and others on why we chose the option of virtual instruction for our children. Emerging Minds of Maryland is an organization of virtual school parents who work to advocate for this option for our children’s education. We are the voice of online public school families in Maryland and families who believe in this viable option. We work to educate policymakers about online education and address the many misperceptions about virtual schools.

Maryland’s Governor, Martin O’Malley has made it priority to utilize the stimulus monies for education, President Obama has earmarked funds specifically for education innovation and reform. Our policymakers are making tough decisions which doors to open for innovation and where to make cuts. Now is the time to make our voices heard to ensure that our kids are treated fairly in any policy debates, particularly discussions about funding! As like-minded parents with the common interest of ensuring that our children succeed in the educational setting that best works for their individual needs, we are a strong voice for online education. But we can’t do this alone. We need YOU!

We invite any parent interested in supporting online education and promoting this option for their children as well as others in the state of Maryland to join the organization. Visit us at info@emergingmindsinc.org to sign up or for more information.
We also welcome the chance of meeting in person with families and officials throughout Maryland to explain more about what the organization does and how families and other agencies can get involved. If you have an event where we could say a few words and share information about us, please let us know. Send a note to info@emergingmindsinc.org.

Online Education in the News

STUDY FINDS THAT ONLINE EDUCATION BEATS THE CLASSROOM
A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”
To read the full article click here.
To read the full Department of Education report click here.
National Update
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan hosted a live, televised town hall on Tuesday, September 15 from 6-9 p.m. The public participated by phone and email. For details about this and upcoming events please, click here for an archived addition.
We encourage your continued participation in these webcasts to learn more about federal education policy and submit your questions about public online schools.

2010 Day at the Capitol
Last year, we made our first debut in Annapolis and testified on HB 1543 and SB 1032. Over the summer, we also attended Capitol Hill Day sponsored by the National Coalition on Public school Options, and spoke to our representative in Congress. Planning is underway for our return to Annapolis and testify during legislative session. Stay tuned for more details. Together, we can make Emerging Minds of Maryland’s 2010 better and stronger than last year!!! We need your help to be a larger voice.

Facebook
Just a reminder, that you can find Emerging Minds on Facebook and Twitter. Search emergingmindsofmd on Twitter or tweet us @emergingminds. To join the group on Facebook, search for “Emerging Minds of Maryland Inc.” in the Groups section of Facebook or friend us at Emerging Minds just click. We look forward to growing strong in our social network and keeping you informed on the web.