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At the start of this summer, the Minnesota Department of Education approved Albert Lea Area Schools to operate an online educational option now called the Albert Lea Online Academy.

John Double, principal of the Online Academy, stated, “Our new Online Academy will be different from what families experienced in either the Distance Learning Academy or the distance learning experiences from the past two school years. The Online Academy will use Edgenuity as an online learning platform, have parents and guardians as the student’s learning coach and the majority of the teachers will still be our Albert Lea Area School District teachers.”

This new learning environment option is available for students in grade 4-12. Students will learn through video modules, journaling, reading for learning in the subject matter and other online resources. This educational option is best suited for students who are self-motivated and enjoy learning in a virtual environment. Families should plan on spending about an hour each day doing work for each class the student has in their schedule. The district will supply Chromebooks to students and still assist families with internet hotspots as needed. 

Parents and guardians will ensure students attend their classes daily, complete and submit work daily, stay on pace with their courses and support their students as needed. Teachers will monitor student progress, communicate regularly with students and learning coaches and support our students and learning coaches as needed.

“Our Online Academy also gives students opportunities to access music and work-based learning courses (in-person at our schools), Advanced Placement courses and courses in the career and technical education fields,” Double explained.

Last week, the school district website was updated with a list of initial registration offerings for students at all grade levels. Course descriptions will follow in the next couple of weeks, and registration requests will help guide final offerings for the school year.

Enrollment opened for the Albert Lea Online Academy on June 21 and continues through Aug. 1. The Online Academy held two informational sessions in June and will have at least two more in July (currently the 14th and 28th) for parents and students to learn more about this online learning opportunity. Families may also either call the Online Academy office at 507-379-5153 or check the school district website for more information.