| Wednesday, October 9, 2002
Virtual Education Academy Team Meets With Specter's Aide in Washington
The Executive Team of Northeastern
Pennsylvania's Virtual Education Academy (VEA) recently
presented its vision to create an alternative to cyber schools to
Senator Specter's staff in Washington, DC.
The Executive Team of Northeastern
Pennsylvania's Virtual Education Academy (VEA) recently
presented its vision to create an alternative to cyber schools to
Senator Specter's staff in Washington, DC.
The six–member team of
educational and technology experts–East Stroudsburg
University–based entrepreneurs as well as educators from ESU and
Monroe County — discussed how the creation of the Virtual
Education Academy will dramatically improve the quality of
education for homebound students in Northeast Pennsylvania, and
serve as the model platform for schools across the nation.
The "Virtual Education Academy" is an internet–based program created to
provide educational opportunities to homebound students in order
for them to meet high academic standards. The program contains
broadcast and parental interaction capabilities, which will provide
these students with the opportunity to collaborate and "chat" with
their teachers and peers, while performing tasks that require
creative and critical thinking.
The "Virtual Education Academy" will best serve students who are homebound because of
various school phobias or anxieties and who actually have medical
conditions stating this, those students who have gone through an
expulsion process for any number of reasons, and students with
long-term physical illnesses.
The "Virtual Education Academy" initiative was created by a partnership that includes
Right Reason Technologies, which is located in the Business
Accelerator at East Stroudsburg University, eight area school
districts and two intermediate units that span the geographic
region from Scranton to the Lehigh Valley covering eight counties
in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Congressman Paul Kanjorski has widely endorsed the project, as it will provide the
opportunity for all students to have access to the latest
educational advances while cutting costs through collaborative
efforts. Kanjorski has encouraged the center to pursue this
initiative and has made it his top priority in the House version of
the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill.
Jenn Castagna, Sen.
Specter's senior legislative assistant for educational
matters, expressed strong interest in the project and praised the
coordination and efforts of the team.
Virtual Education Executive Team members include:
- Dr. David Krauser — Superintendent, Pocono Mountain School District
- Mary Frances Postupack — Chief Operating Officer, ESU Center for Research
and Economic Development
- Dr. Faith Waters — Professor, Professional and Secondary Education, East Stroudsburg
University
- Peter Schmitt — Partner, Right Reason Technologies, Inc.
- Thomas Schmitt — Partner, Right Reason Technologies, Inc.
- Tracy Smith — Assistant Director of Technology Services, Colonial Intermediate
Unit 20, which serves Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties.
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