Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Young.
Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started out as an elementary school teacher. I was working in Fort Myers, Florida in 1989 when our district entered into a unique partnership with IBM to bring technology into the district. I had the honor of leading that endeavor for our school, and through doing so, I learned a great deal not only about technology but also about business principles, processes, and strategies that could greatly benefit our schools.
Due to our success, I then had the opportunity to spend 2 years as a teacher on assignment with IBM. My role was to train teachers throughout the district to do exactly what we had done in our school with such great success.
Fast forward to 1996. My husband and I moved to Orlando where I was hired as an assistant principal at Tildenville Elementary. A few months after the school year began, I received a call from the Associate Superintendent, Dr. Bob Williams requesting I come to the district office to discuss a technology grant. In the course of the conversation, I began to suspect this was an interview. He then asked if I’d be interested in leading the design and creation of an online high school. The program had no roadmap and the position had no clear job description. That sounded good to me! I said yes! And before I knew it, I was leading a grant-based initiative that we simply called Florida High School. It eventually morphed into what is now Florida Virtual School or FLVS.
We started with just 77 students, mostly high school boys because we assumed that this type of learning would appeal mostly to computer nerds. I’ve never been so glad to be wrong! It turned out that the program had wide appeal for a whole host of reasons and an impressive mix of students we did not originally anticipate being able to serve. Over time, we identified a few key drivers.
First, the program offered flexibility – no longer requiring every student to be on the same page at the same time.
Second, teachers had more luxury to work 1:1 with students right when they needed the help the most, and we were intentional about proactively reaching out on a regular basis, building all kinds of touch points into the programming to ensure students knew they were seen and heard.
Third, we were laser focused on creating an outstanding learning experience and on holding ourselves accountable to student outcomes. And finally, we were committed to providing a positive customer service experience, with parents, students, and the community at large being our “customers” and our partners. Governor Bush and his Commissioners of Education, Frank Brogan and John Winn were our greatest champions and were laser focused on removing barriers for students to participate in the program.
As a result, the school grew from just 77 enrollments in 1997 to 650,000 enrollments by the time I left in 2014. That kind of growth and success gave us the cache to pioneer new models, funding structures, and policies that put students’ needs at the center of our design endeavors versus expediency.
Here at ASU, President Crow’s vision to open wide the doors and remove unnecessary boundaries and obstacles to learning was right in sync with the work I had been doing. His student-centered approach to ensuring all people have a pathway to college was exhilarating and I was excited to see how that vision could be elevated through the support of such an innovative university. It is exciting to work with like minded leaders who are motivated by finding new ways to open doors for students and providing multiple pathways to success.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It absolutely has not been a smooth road. No worthy endeavor ever really is! We have had to continually make the case for designing around student needs versus our own. When systems become large enough, there is almost an inherent resistance to change. Change is disruptive and inconvenient, and we humans who make and create systems can easily lose focus about why they were created in the first place.
For example, we created a locally centered system of funding here in the U.S. based on a per-pupil allotment. One challenge with that system is that the funds have little relationship to performance, which leaves a lot of students in the lurch when they live in a low-performing school district and cannot afford to attend a private school. Another challenge is time. We all know that students don’t all learn at the same pace, yet our school systems and assessment processes march lockstep with inflexible schedules that do not accommodate differences.
These are complex and often controversial issues that require many difficult conversations and, hopefully, collaboration among adults who are committed enough to students to find creative and equitable solutions.
Over the years, I have found that if you want to challenge the system, you have to be willing to hold yourself accountable first. That’s why when we were seeking funding based on performance versus seat time in Florida, we asked the state to hold us accountable by tying our funding to student outcomes. It was a game changer. With our call for change comes an equal or perhaps even greater call for ownership and personal responsibility.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I think everyone can agree that the “remote learning” that every teacher and student was thrust into due to the pandemic was anything but ideal, and for so many families, the experience soured them on the idea of online learning altogether.
Yet, for those students who had the advantage of already being enrolled in a quality online program, or who were able to shift to an established, well-designed program, the difference between “remote learning” and quality online or blended learning could not be more apparent.
Design is the key. The online environment is simply the vehicle – in much the same way that a school building is just a building. What makes it a thriving learning environment is the design of the learning process, the validity and reliability of research-based instructional strategies, and, most importantly, the commitment of the teachers and staff to their student’s well being and to clearly identified outcomes that everyone, including the students, can rally around.
Our program is all about designing in just this manner. We begin with the end in mind. What do we want our students to know or be able to do? Our goal, then, with every course we design, every teacher training program, every aspect of our student support services, and every interaction between teachers and students, is to put in place the resources and support students need to achieve the identified outcomes.
We cannot simply put students into an online course and let them figure things out for themselves. Learning is a collaborative process that requires multiple layers and types of support, along with healthy strategies for getting students actively engaged in the process of solving real problems. Designing for this level of learning takes money, a great deal of thinking and planning, and a firm focus on supporting students.
What makes you happy?
First and foremost, my family and friends. I am blessed to have been married to the same man for 41 years, have two amazing sons, two daughter-in-laws I adore and 4 incredible grandchildren. They are my greatest joy. I still have my 91 year old father actively in my life, along with my sister and brother’s families as well as my husband’s family. I have friends I call family and spend the majority of my down time outside boating or hiking. Soon, I’m going to take up golfing again! I also love my work and for the past 40 years have considered my work, my play. I’ve surrounded myself with amazing people who also love their work and are determined to change the world for generations to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.asuprepdigital.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asuprepdigital/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuprepdigital
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASUPrepDigital/
