The Maine Connections Academy, a virtual charter school that will launch next fall, will be run by an American subsidiary of London-based Pearson LLC, a larger multinational company, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The school will get its curriculum, online platform and some of its teachers from the company. Republican lawmakers, including Gov. Paul LePage, support the new school, while Democrats, public school teachers and administrators oppose it.
Some Democrats support the idea of a virtual charter school, but would like to see it run by the Maine Department of Education. Supporters of the school believe that a large private company will provide a more cost effective option because costs can be spread out.
