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Empower students to reach their highest potential with full-time, flexible online learning solutions.
See how we can work together to help students in your district or state.
— Full-time online learning student
As an academic leader faced with the new realities of online learning, your biggest challenge (and opportunity) is building a flexible and engaging K-12 virtual program that fits your school, district, region, or state.
By choosing the solution that works best for you: from full-service schools with teachers provided to pick-and-choose courses and consultative services, you can meet the diverse needs of your students. A Pearson partnership provides the know-how, experience, and time-tested tools to achieve online learning success.
In 2001, the first Connections Academy online school was established, and in 2011, Connections Academy became part of the Pearson family. Since then, we have:
Select an individual to learn more about them.
President, Virtual Learning
Tom ap Simon is President of Virtual Learning for Pearson, leading its strategic vision and management to deliver superior support/services for schools, higher education institutions, and families, notably its Connections Academy K-12 online school program. Tom joined Pearson in 2004 and prior to his current post, he served as: Managing Director of Pearson Online & Blended Learning K-12; SVP/North America; and SVP/Finance, Growth Markets, where he focused on building the business’s talent, culture, and financial discipline.
Senior Vice President, Sales and Customer Success
Nik joined Pearson in 2016 to lead various strategic, operational, and sales functions in Pearson's HECW organization. In this role, Nik developed several new strategic business models, developed a strong partnership and distribution network, revitalized business operations, created customer centric pricing, and led a $200M+ sales organization. Prior to joining Pearson, Nik led strategic partnerships at McGraw-Hill Education, and served as the Chief of Staff for the VP and CIO of Indiana University. As SVP, Sales and Customer Success for Virtual Schools (K12), Nik is responsible for leading and implementing the go-to-market across the three core business channels (Partner Schools, District Partnerships, and Pearson Online Academy) in the online and blended learning space. Nik received his JD from Indiana University's Mauer School of Law and BS from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.
Senior Vice President, Product & Portfolio Management
Michelle (Shelly) Shires is a visionary, collaborative, and innovative product leader. She has 17+ years of experience managing large, complex, and transformational product initiatives with both internal and external, geographically distributed teams in the digital product and services industry. She is a subject matter expert known for establishing and implementing top-notch full product development lifecycle and large-scale global delivery. Shelly is a strong leader who provides organizational direction, development, and coaching, and has been credited for transforming teams recognized for high performance and adaptability.
Vice President, Customer Success Service Delivery
Dr. Tiffinie Irving is an academic and instructional leader. She has 23+ years of accomplishments as a teacher, principal, and school district administrator, developing educators and improving student outcomes. Tiffinie joined Pearson Virtual Schools in 2021, where she leads academic and assessment expert teams responsible for delivering a range of exceptional services to partner schools, district partnerships, and Pearson Online Academy customers. Tiffinie earned a doctorate from Wichita State University in education leadership, and she has authored and co-collaborated on numerous educational publications.
We help students develop pathways to success by building on their individual strengths and interests in an online setting that’s both safe and connected to a larger community. Our full-time online schools create lifelong learners who are prepared for future school and careers by offering: