Enchanted Future: The Promise of Virtual Education in New Mexico

Technological advances are providing customized learning opportunities to millions more students today. Many students struggle to keep up with subjects they find challenging. Others contend with boredom and monotony in traditional classrooms because they have more advanced skills than their peers. Meanwhile, many students cannot access the courses or teachers they need because they live in remote areas, are athletes and need more flexible schedules, or have health issues that prevent them from succeeding in regular brick-and-mortar schools. Until recently, those students’ families would have to hire tutors, switch schools, or try to balance their work schedules with before- or after-school programs—options that are beyond the reach of many families struggling to make ends meet. The expansion of virtual learning is a lifeline for such families and their school-age children.