Tennessee Connections Academy aims to meet growing demand for online learning options

A recent report from Market Data Forecast found the global K-12 online education market is expected to grow more than $500 billion to reach about $716 billion in 2029, amid the growing popularity of online learning options. Among the schools in Tennessee helping to meet that growing demand is Tennessee Connections Academy, a fully accredited online public school launched in 2019 that's experienced significant growth since the COVID-19 pandemic first necessitated the need for more remote learning options.Tennessee Connections Academy Executive Director Dr. Dusty Reed said the school currently serves 3,000 students across all 95 counties in Tennessee, with many of those students coming from Shelby County, Davidson County and Knox County. She said the school has reached its state capacity of 3,000 students over the last few years and now has a wait list for enrollment, as more and more parents look to remote learning as a viable alternative to traditional schooling.“We have been at our state-allowed cap every year now since COVID-19. We’re capped by law where we can only take so many students. I feel confident that if that cap was not in place, I could probably double the school in terms of school enrollment,” she said, noting the fact that demand for online learning today remains higher than before the pandemic.Reed said that the school enables students to attend live, synchronous classes, as well as in-person field trips, school dances and clubs to help maintain student engagement and allow students to connect with one another. The school also has a “thriving” e-sports program, according to Reed.“We have a face-to-face graduation,” she added. “We have groups that meet at local libraries, and they study together and talk together.”According to a 2023 report from the Urban Institute, Tennessee public school enrollment declined by more than 14,000 students from the Fall 2019 semester to the Fall 2021 semester. While much of that had to do with the pandemic, Reed said she believes many families are also looking to online learning for more flexibility, as well as a chance to be more involved with their children’s education.Reed said the school works much like any other brick-and-mortar public school but allows students to work on much of their assignments on their own time. She noted that the school serves a significant population of students with special or mental health needs, including depression and anxiety, which can make traditional schooling more difficult.“We have professional gymnasts and professional child actors who are participating in our program while also pursuing their interests,” she said, touching on flexibility.“Another reason that I really feel like we're seeing this increase in virtual school enrollment [here] is that parents are wanting more. They're wanting more involvement with their children’s education. In virtual school, you know, the parent is there every day, all day long. They are sitting beside that student, and they are watching the educational process. I like to brag that we know our families, not just our students,” she continued. “I know their parents or their grandparents, their aunts, their uncles, their little cousins. I know when the baseball game is. I know all of those things because we really get to work with the entire family, because those parents are our partners in this learning journey that these kids are on.”Reed said that while the school is currently at capacity, the academy is hoping to find new ways to expand moving forward in order to better meet the demand for online learning in Tennessee.“We're always looking for opportunities to expand and to serve more students across the state,” she said. “We're always looking for other counties that may want to partner with us to think about and consider serving more students across the state of Tennessee.”For more information on the academy and enrollment, visit their website.