State’s Largest Online School Launches Parent Teacher Organization

TEC Connections Academy (TECCA), the Commonwealth’s largest virtual school, is launching its first-ever Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), which will support new and existing programs to benefit the school community.

The group of volunteer parents will work to strengthen, enhance and encourage the educational and social environment of TEC Connections Academy. The goal is to complement the school community with additional opportunities for parents, teachers, and students to learn, socialize, communicate, and grow.

Lori Garino, president of the PTO and Hopedale resident, said the volunteers will put on fundraisers, charity drives and will play a major role in organizing MCAS testing. As an example, the PTO recently collected gently used clothes and coats from TECCA families at the school’s end-of-semester party that will be donated to those in need.

Tina Serir Abdallah of Worcester will serve as the PTO’s secretary.

“TECCA is lucky to have engaged and dedicated parents that are willing to work on behalf of our students and school,” said Adam Goldberg, superintendent of TECCA. “The PTO will be a great resource for our community going forward.”

TECCA serves over 1,200 students from across Massachusetts and employs more than 50 teachers and support personnel.

This is TECCA’s third school year in operation. The success of the new virtual school is apparent in results of the school’s annual survey of TECCA parents, which was completed by an independent third party. Eighty-seven percent of parents indicate they would recommend the school to other families, and 92 percent say their children are satisfied with TECCA’s program. Eighty-four percent of parents gave TECCA an “A” or “B” grade, whereas public school ratings from the 47th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools shows that traditional public schools received 70 percent “A” or “B” grades from parents. Over ninety percent of parents surveyed are also satisfied with the helpfulness of their TECCA teachers and agree that the curriculum is high quality.

All TECCA students participate in the nationally accredited Connections Academy program that combines high-quality resources from leading publishers with cutting-edge, yet easy-to-use, technology tools and hands-on materials. Learning from home, students work closely with licensed Massachusetts teachers using detailed daily lesson plans that can be personalized to meet individual student needs. A parent, or another adult “Learning Coach,” helps to monitors progress in the home.

For more information about TECCA, call their local office at (774) 315-5123 or visit www.TECConnectionsAcademy.com.

About TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School

TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School (TECCA) is Massachusetts’ newest statewide, tuition-free, virtual public school for students in grades K-12. The school was approved in February 2014 by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and is now serving students for the 2015-2016 school year, delivering a fully-accredited education. TECCA provides students with the flexibility to learn from anywhere there is an Internet connection and with an innovative online school curriculum that meets rigorous state education standards. The combination of Massachusetts-credentialed teachers, an award-winning curriculum, engaging electives, technology tools, and social experiences provides a supportive online learning opportunity for students who want an individualized approach to education. The virtual school is sponsored by The Education Cooperative (TEC). For more information, call 800-382-6010 or visit www.TECConnectionsAcademy.com.