Dear Carlisle Families:

I am sharing some information with you today to begin answering questions about the upcoming school year.  

My intention is to begin providing needed information to you, while I know this is not complete and you will have questions.

Each Carlisle student may stay home for the entire first semester as a 100% remote learner, and the student will be a Carlisle student in every aspect except they are staying at home for school.  Unlike what was offered this past spring when schools were closed, students who stay at home will access their classes through the Virtual Learning Academy (VLA).  VLA is operated by the Jefferson County (Ohio) Educational Services Center and the instruction and curriculum is aligned with all Ohio standards.  A student who selects this option will have no trouble transitioning back to Carlisle classrooms at a later time.   I have many years of experience with students’ success on Ohio’s achievement tests and the ACT while they have been full time enrolled on VLA. There is no cost for Carlisle students who choose to stay home for this remote learning option.

But.....please note.....I do not believe that any distance learning experience matches the quality of having your student in a classroom with a Carlisle teacher.  This option is being offered to you solely because COVID 19 has caused some parents to have concerns about safety.  It is worth saying:  there will always be some level of health and safety risk present in every public space in America until COVID 19 has been defeated.  Parents must make the best decisions about school attendance for their child.

These resources will be useful for parents who want to learn more about VLA:

• VLA student tutorial videos, offering a look at how the courses function
• A look at the 2019-2020 VLA course catalog for parents' reference
• Listing of current VLA courses 

VLA is also being used in Warren County by Franklin, Waynesville, Lebanon, Kings, and Little Miami.

Families who plan to enroll their child(ren) in the Virtual Learning Academy must contact the Office of Curriculum & Instruction via email at Shane.Estep@carlisleindians.org by 3:00 p.m. on August 14.

I am working with Carlisle staff this week to design the VLA rollout at Carlisle, and I plan to communicate with you about the plans for opening school soon.

Best regards,
Tom Isaacs

WCESC Superintendent
Carlisle Interim Superintendent
Tom.Isaacs@warrencountyesc.com