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The company's website says it provides "free" services since it does not charge students, but the services are far from free as they divert taxpayer dollars from the public school system to a private for-profit firm, Connections Education, that made an estimated $190 million in revenue in 2011.<ref name="NYT Report">Stephanie Saul, [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/online-schools-score-better-on-wall-street-than-in-classrooms.html?_r=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimes&pagewanted=all Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools], ''New York Times'', December 12, 2011.</ref>
The company's website says it provides "free" services since it does not charge students, but the services are far from free as they divert taxpayer dollars from the public school system to a private for-profit firm, Connections Education, that made an estimated $190 million in revenue in 2011.<ref name="NYT Report">Stephanie Saul, [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/online-schools-score-better-on-wall-street-than-in-classrooms.html?_r=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimes&pagewanted=all Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools], ''New York Times'', December 12, 2011.</ref>
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Connections Academy contracts with public school districts and charter schools to provide online classes for K-12 students.<ref name="About Us">Connections Academy [http://www.connectionsacademy.com/about/about-us.aspx About Connections Academy, a Free Online School], company website, accessed July 2013.</ref> Connections Academy had
21
schools and more than
27
,000 students
in
the
2010-11 school
year.<ref name="
NEPC
"/> But some of those schools are failing. In September 2013, ''Politico'' reported that, "Ohio’s six biggest cyber schools all got Fs on their state progress reports, meaning students learned nowhere near a year’s worth of material in a year of studying online." Ohio Connections Academy received $19.2 million in taxpayer funds for 3,123 students, but those students are failing to meet adequate yearly progress by large margins (-11.3 in reading, -15.7 in math, -17.2 overall.)<ref>''Politico'', [http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/cyber-schools-flunk-but-tax-money-keeps-flowing-97375.html#ixzz2gNe8onJi Cyber schools flunk, but tax money keeps flowing], September 25, 2013.</ref>
+
Connections Academy contracts with public school districts and charter schools to provide online classes for K-12 students.<ref name="About Us">Connections Academy [http://www.connectionsacademy.com/about/about-us.aspx About Connections Academy, a Free Online School], company website, accessed July 2013.</ref> Connections Academy had
33
schools and more than
51
,000 students
(an increase of 20% from
the
previous
year
) in 2013
.<ref name="
pearson 2013 annual report
"/> But some of those schools are failing. In September 2013, ''Politico'' reported that, "Ohio’s six biggest cyber schools all got Fs on their state progress reports, meaning students learned nowhere near a year’s worth of material in a year of studying online." Ohio Connections Academy received $19.2 million in taxpayer funds for 3,123 students, but those students are failing to meet adequate yearly progress by large margins (-11.3 in reading, -15.7 in math, -17.2 overall.)<ref>''Politico'', [http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/cyber-schools-flunk-but-tax-money-keeps-flowing-97375.html#ixzz2gNe8onJi Cyber schools flunk, but tax money keeps flowing], September 25, 2013.</ref>
Connections Academy has ties to the [http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed American Legislative Exchange Council] (ALEC) and other organizations promoting a for-profit educational model from which it stands to benefit financially. Both on its own and as a member of [[ALEC]], Connections Academy has pushed a national agenda to replace brick and mortar classrooms with computers and replace actual teachers with "virtual" teachers. Many have questioned the company's extraordinary revenues, generated at taxpayers' expense.<ref name="ALECWI">Mary Bottari, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/07/10880/alec-bills-wisconsin ALEC Bills in Wisconsin], ''PRWatch'', July 14, 2011.</ref> There has also been criticism of the quality of the teachers, the lack of government oversight and democratic accountability, as well as the appropriateness of taking children as young as five out of a classroom of their peers and putting them in front of a computer screen, according to the ''Washington Post''.<ref>Lyndsey Layton, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-raises-questions-about-virtual-schools/2011/10/21/gIQABXX5DM_story.html Study raises questions about virtual schools], ''Washington Post'', October 24, 2011.</ref><ref name="WaPo">Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/virtual-schools-are-multiplying-but-some-question-their-educational-value/2011/11/22/gIQANUzkzN_story.html Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value], ''Washington Post'', November 26, 2011.</ref>
Connections Academy has ties to the [http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed American Legislative Exchange Council] (ALEC) and other organizations promoting a for-profit educational model from which it stands to benefit financially. Both on its own and as a member of [[ALEC]], Connections Academy has pushed a national agenda to replace brick and mortar classrooms with computers and replace actual teachers with "virtual" teachers. Many have questioned the company's extraordinary revenues, generated at taxpayers' expense.<ref name="ALECWI">Mary Bottari, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/07/10880/alec-bills-wisconsin ALEC Bills in Wisconsin], ''PRWatch'', July 14, 2011.</ref> There has also been criticism of the quality of the teachers, the lack of government oversight and democratic accountability, as well as the appropriateness of taking children as young as five out of a classroom of their peers and putting them in front of a computer screen, according to the ''Washington Post''.<ref>Lyndsey Layton, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-raises-questions-about-virtual-schools/2011/10/21/gIQABXX5DM_story.html Study raises questions about virtual schools], ''Washington Post'', October 24, 2011.</ref><ref name="WaPo">Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/virtual-schools-are-multiplying-but-some-question-their-educational-value/2011/11/22/gIQANUzkzN_story.html Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value], ''Washington Post'', November 26, 2011.</ref>
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'''FOUNDING AND OWNERSHIP:''' Sylvan Ventures started Connections Academy in 2001, opening its first schools in 2002, according to the company's website.<ref name="About Us"/> In 2004, it was sold to Apollo Management, L.P., a corporate investor specializing in real estate.<ref>Dun & Bradstreet, "Apollo Management, L.P. Report," online business credit report, prepared June 15, 2011.</ref> In 2011, Connections Academy expanded to form a new corporate entity, Connections Education, which includes Connections Academy (operator of "online public schools" and an "online private school" through International Connections Academy), Nexus Academy (a "tuition-free, college preparatory, blended learning experience" for high school students), and Connections Learning (provider of various individual "courses, clubs and activities").<ref>Connections Education, [http://www.connectionseducation.com/connections-education/home.aspx Connections Education], organizational website, accessed July 2013.</ref><ref name="About Us"/> Later in 2011, Connections Education was acquired by Pearson Education, part of the global corporation [[Pearson|Pearson PLC]].<ref>Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/news/2011/september/pearson-acquires-connections-education.html Pearson acquires Connections Education], corporate press release, September 15, 2011.</ref>
'''FOUNDING AND OWNERSHIP:''' Sylvan Ventures started Connections Academy in 2001, opening its first schools in 2002, according to the company's website.<ref name="About Us"/> In 2004, it was sold to Apollo Management, L.P., a corporate investor specializing in real estate.<ref>Dun & Bradstreet, "Apollo Management, L.P. Report," online business credit report, prepared June 15, 2011.</ref> In 2011, Connections Academy expanded to form a new corporate entity, Connections Education, which includes Connections Academy (operator of "online public schools" and an "online private school" through International Connections Academy), Nexus Academy (a "tuition-free, college preparatory, blended learning experience" for high school students), and Connections Learning (provider of various individual "courses, clubs and activities").<ref>Connections Education, [http://www.connectionseducation.com/connections-education/home.aspx Connections Education], organizational website, accessed July 2013.</ref><ref name="About Us"/> Later in 2011, Connections Education was acquired by Pearson Education, part of the global corporation [[Pearson|Pearson PLC]].<ref>Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/news/2011/september/pearson-acquires-connections-education.html Pearson acquires Connections Education], corporate press release, September 15, 2011.</ref>
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'''PROFITS:''' According to Pearson's 2011 Annual Report, the company's share value increased by 20 percent in 2011 compared to the preceding year (before it acquired Connections Education), with revenues of over 5.8 billion British pounds, or more than $9.2 billion.<ref name="PRW">Lisa Graves, "[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/11/11883/taxpayer-enriched-companies-back-jeb-bushs-foundation-excellence-education-its-bu Taxpayer-Enriched Companies Back Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education, its Buddy ALEC, and Their 'Reforms],'" ''PRWatch'', November 28, 2012.</ref><ref>X-Rates, [http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=GBP&to=USD&amount=1&year=2011 Rate US Dollar per 1 British Pound Monthly average 2011], currency exchange rate website, accessed July 2013.</ref> (Its adjusted operating profit for 2010 was 942 million British pounds, or $1.1 billion.)<ref name="annual report">Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/content/dam/pearson-corporate/files/cosec/14945_PearsonAR11.pdf Annual Report and Accounts, 2011].</ref> In 2012, Pearson took in 6.1 billion British pounds (about $9.7 billion) in revenues, with an adjusted operating profit of 936 million British pounds (approximately $1.5 billion).<ref name="2012report">Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/content/dam/pearson-corporate/files/cosec/2013/15939_PearsonAR12.pdf Annual Report and Accounts, 2012].</ref><ref>X-Rates, [http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=GBP&to=USD&amount=1&year=2012 Rate US Dollar per 1 British Pound Monthly average 2012], currency exchange rate website, accessed July 2013.</ref>
+
'''PROFITS:''' According to Pearson's 2011 Annual Report, the company's share value increased by 20 percent in 2011 compared to the preceding year (before it acquired Connections Education), with revenues of over 5.8 billion British pounds, or more than $9.2 billion.<ref name="PRW">Lisa Graves, "[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/11/11883/taxpayer-enriched-companies-back-jeb-bushs-foundation-excellence-education-its-bu Taxpayer-Enriched Companies Back Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education, its Buddy ALEC, and Their 'Reforms],'" ''PRWatch'', November 28, 2012.</ref><ref>X-Rates, [http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=GBP&to=USD&amount=1&year=2011 Rate US Dollar per 1 British Pound Monthly average 2011], currency exchange rate website, accessed July 2013.</ref> (Its adjusted operating profit for 2010 was 942 million British pounds, or $1.1 billion.)<ref name="annual report">Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/content/dam/pearson-corporate/files/cosec/14945_PearsonAR11.pdf Annual Report and Accounts, 2011].</ref> In 2012, Pearson took in 6.1 billion British pounds (about $9.7 billion) in revenues, with an adjusted operating profit of 936 million British pounds (approximately $1.5 billion).<ref name="2012report">Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/content/dam/pearson-corporate/files/cosec/2013/15939_PearsonAR12.pdf Annual Report and Accounts, 2012].</ref><ref>X-Rates, [http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=GBP&to=USD&amount=1&year=2012 Rate US Dollar per 1 British Pound Monthly average 2012], currency exchange rate website, accessed July 2013
.</ref> In 2013, Pearson's total revenue was 5.69 billion pounds ($9.66 billion), with an adjusted operating profit of 736 million pounds ($1.25 billion).<ref name="pearson 2013 annual report">Pearson, [http://www.pearson.com/content/dam/pearson-corporate/files/cosec/2014/2014-Pearson-20F-FINAL.pdf 2014 report], company SEC filing, accessed July 24, 2014
.</ref>
'''BUSINESS MODEL:''' Connections Academy currently operates tuition-free online "public schools" under management contracts from charter schools or school districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming in 2013, according to the company's website.<ref name="About Us"/>
'''BUSINESS MODEL:''' Connections Academy currently operates tuition-free online "public schools" under management contracts from charter schools or school districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming in 2013, according to the company's website.<ref name="About Us"/>