In Support of New Mexico Connections Academy

New Mexico Connections Academy is an innovative, much-needed K-12 virtual public charter school whose mission is to maximize academic achievement for any student in New Mexico who needs an alternative to the traditional classroom, including students with special learning needs.

Working from home or a supervised community location under the guidance of New Mexico-certified teachers with whom they interact via technology, New Mexico Connections Academy students benefit from a rigorous curriculum that is aligned to the New Mexico Educational Standards (LITES) and the only nationally recognized virtual school program of its kind to be accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. As a high-quality public charter school accessible to students throughout the state of New Mexico, New Mexico Connections Academy will also provide the New Mexico Public Education Department with a unique and effective choice for students seeking a transfer option under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Each New Mexico Connections Academy student will have a Personalized Learning Plan and a “Learning Coach” – a parent, extended family member, or other caring adult designated by the parent/guardian. In addition to the curriculum that is rich in print, enhanced by technology, and tailored to their individual learning needs, New Mexico Connections Academy students will have access to powerful learning software and communications tools through the Learning Management System designed specifically for this K-12 virtual school. The school will loan each family a computer and provide for a printer and an Internet connection subsidy.

The diverse students to be served by New Mexico Connections Academy have unique educational needs. They may be special education students (as 12-18% of students served by other Connections Academy schools are) or children who simply learn differently; gifted or struggling or both; grappling with chronic illness or training for the Olympics; be the bullied or the bully. They may attend a school designated as low-performing under NCLB and seek a transfer. For myriad reasons, these students are not thriving in the typical classroom setting but can reach their full potential in a personalized virtual school environment.