Dear Friends:
We wanted to say thanks to everyone who attended the first ever Virtual School forum at Boise State. There was a great turnout!  See the article about the event below. And, you can listen here .

November 24, 2008
Virtual education in Idaho inspires once-struggling kids to succeed

Idaho students and educators say virtual learning has revolutionized their lives.
"It opened my mind to the world," said Delanie Ross, 16, of Emmett. "That world is so much bigger than it would have been in Emmett. It helped me as a person."
Ross said she was struggling with school and didn't have aspirations beyond becoming a fast-food employee or a store cashier until she became a full-time student at Inspire Connections Academy, one of about a half dozen virtual schools in Idaho.
Now she wants a medical career.
"I like how the school helps me in that - math's not a strong point," she said.
Virtual school also has introduced her to friends, other virtual students, across the United States, and gives her the flexibility to travel and dedicate more or less time to assignments depending on the difficulty, she said.
Ross was one of several students, state officials and experts who spoke at a forum on virtual education sponsored by the Idaho Charter School Network at Boise State University last week.
Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in virtual learning for K-12 students and was rated No. 3 in the nation for policy and practice by e.Republic's Center for Digital Education. About 5 percent of all K-12 students, around 14,000, are taking classes online full or part time.
Read more .

Get to know your legislators

With the election behind us and a new legislative session on the horizon, we want to remind you to get to know your legislators. Please take time to reach out to them to tell them how much you value your choice in public education. Thank them for their continued support -- and ask them to continue to fight for you and your children in the state capitol! The 2009 session begins on January 12, so spend the next few weeks getting to know who represents you in Boise. Here's a link to the legislature .