[ARCHIVED] Asking for help to start 6-12 online school

[11712karendr]

Dear list,

I am currently in the planning stage for a 6-12 online school for students who are non-native English speakers. The school will mirror the US middle and high school curricula in a compact way as cheaply as possible so to prepare these students for college in the US. The courses will be taught by US teachers in both live sessions and on demand video clips.

I have decided that Canvas is the best platform for our school, to be launched early next summer. I am completely new to Canvas but am familiar with online collaborative platforms the like of Blackboard, SAP, etc. To make the transition to Canvas, I will need a lot of help and this seems to be the best place to ask some questions which I hope members here can help me with.  

1. The first person I need to bring on board is a Director of Academic Affairs to work with me to develop the curriculum for each grade level. It would be best if this person is familiar with the full 6-12 spectrum but if not we may need one person for middle school and high school each. How should I go about finding/selecting these people?

2. Instructure will charge me for the deployment of Canvas but we probably will need someone on our side to take care of it. Again, is this the place where we can canvass for this person?

3. How do I navigate the pool of knowledge in this forum so to have an easier time learning about running a school on Canvas? How steep is the learning curve? 

4. Any advice you have for me?

Thank you.

Anh Pham
Washington DC

[colleen_bergin1]

 @11712karendr ‌,

A lot of these people would need to be found within your district, unless you are starting your own online school that is not affiliated with any school system. 

Take notes of what is given in the community. I have extensive experience utilizing Canvas for courses I have taught as well as PD I have offered. Though I have not used Canvas to create an online school.  Perhaps you can look at different online school programs that utilize Canvas and reach out to them for support.