GREENFIELD — The Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield will continue getting its curriculum from for-profit education company K12, but will hire its own teachers going forward.
The online school’s board of trustees voted Monday night to continue using K12’s products, but gave Executive Director Carl Tillonia the authority to begin hiring teachers for the next school year.
Currently, K12 provides that service.
The vote will allow the school to have full control of its teaching staff, which board member Chris Joseph said would allow changes and philosophy shifts to happen faster and reduce confusion surrounding which policies take precedence.
“They won’t have two masters anymore,” he said, referring to K12 and the school’s administrators. “No potentially conflicting guidance from two different groups.”
Joseph said the school wasn’t capable of taking on those responsibilities in the past, and doing so is a “sign of us being grown up now.”
“It’s representative that we’re really our own school, not just a placard for K12,” said board member Daryl Essensa.
The vote to continue using K12 for the curriculum was unanimous. The company beat out Connections Academy for the contract.
Board members expressed appreciation to Connections for offering another possibility and allowing them to weigh the two options.
“We learned a lot, there are strengths on both sides,” said board Chairwoman Christine Powell.
“These vendors clearly work hard to provide differentiated instruction and (different modes of) learning,” added board member Ruth-Ellen Verock. “It’s good work to be a part of.”
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