What is Leading the Nation, and why are we celebrating?
While Massachusetts has always had a strong commitment to education, the state’s public schools – including Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School – have been recognized as national leaders on many fronts in recent years, thanks to the hard work of teachers, students, families, and communities.
The Leading the Nation campaign coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act, which increased and stabilized state aid to districts, established common learning expectations statewide, and made it easier to see where schools were doing well and where changes might be needed. Massachusetts’ recent successes reflect an enduring bipartisan commitment to those principles.
Why is GCVS celebrating? Because its your successes – students, parents, and teachers – that have helped make Massachusetts a leader in public education and you deserve to be recognized. As a virtual academy, GCVS reaches all corners of the state, from Boston’s Back Bay to the tip of Cape Cod to the Berkshire Mountains in the backyards of Pittsfield. In some ways, we ARE Massachusetts, and our success wouldn’t be possible without you!
The elementary and middle School programs consist of the four core academic courses of English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and History, and students may also take art or music as a full-year class. In order to meet the State’s physical education requirement, we work with students and their parents on a plan for some exercise or fitness activities. Lessons are supplemented with traditional materials, including award-winning textbooks, CDs, videos, and hands-on collateral that complement online learning and allow the widest variety of students to master lesson objectives.