K12 Inc. Partners with New York Times on "Schools for Tomorrow" Education Conference

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- K12 Inc., America's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online school programs for students in kindergarten through high school, announced today a partnership with The New York Times on a first-of-its-kind education conference: "Schools for Tomorrow: Bringing Technology into the Class room."  The interactive conference will bring together hundreds of educators, government officials and thought-leaders, with portions of the event streaming live with student participation, to promote dialogue and action in the education sector for greater schools of the future.

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K12 Founder & CEO Ron Packard will participate in the first of three interactive sessions which will focus on a student's environment – how a classroom of tomorrow might look.  He will describe what he sees as a classroom with no boundaries; a classroom that can be accessed anywhere in the world using powerful technology.  Attendees will have the opportunity to experience K12's vision of a "school of tomorrow" along with other displays of innovative technologies available to the education sector within the conference's on-site Innovation Lab.

"We're extremely excited for the opportunity to partner with The New York Times to explore how technology can improve the quality of education for students in the U.S. and worldwide," said Ron Packard, CEO and founder of K12 Inc. "Giving students the opportunity to access innovative curriculum and tools to learn in today's modern world has been our mission at K12 since we opened our doors more than 10 years ago.  We're pleased to join with The New York Times to elevate the important issues around the future of education."

In addition to addressing the need to improve the way technology can be used in schools, participants will also discuss how technology can be used to deliver an excellent education to anyone and everyone without boundaries.

"With all we have achieved in the U.S., we still can't say that every child is given the opportunity to receive the best education possible," said Packard. "Whether or not a child has access to a quality education should not be determined by their geographic or socioeconomic circumstances.  Technology can help break through these old barriers, but it will require bold steps, structural reforms, and a new vision on how to deliver an excellent education to all children.  This conference will allow us to increase awareness about the opportunities ahead to provide a brighter future for students today and tomorrow."

The conference, by invitation only, will be held at The TimesCenter in New York City on Thursday, September 22.

About K12

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) has reshaped the face of education to meet the needs of new generations as the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education for students in kindergarten through high school.  Using 21st century tools to prepare 21st century students, K12 provides a new choice for children of all backgrounds to learn in a flexible and innovative way, at an individualized pace.  K12 provides its curriculum and academic services to school districts, public and private online schools, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families.  K12 is revolutionizing schools by integrating technology and rigorous curriculum into classrooms, and designing new blended school models that offer students engaging online courses and personalized learning programs.

K12 course offerings include English, math, science, history, world languages, art, music, AP, and a variety of high school electives. Accredited through AdvancedED, the world's largest education community, K12 has delivered more than 3 million courses to hundreds of thousands of students worldwide.  For more information on K12 and their forward-thinking approach to improving the quality of education, visit: www.K12.com.

About Ron Packard

Ron Packard is the CEO and Founder of K12.  As an entrepreneur and education advocate, Ron began K12 with a vision to build a high quality curriculum and academic program that could be available to any child in the world using powerful technology.  Since then, he has led K12 to become a successful company and largest provider of K-12 online school programs in America, delivering innovative solutions to school districts, instructional tools and training to empower teachers, and new education opportunities for students.

In 2008, Ron won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the IT Services & Solutions category in Greater Washington for his outstanding leadership in building and leading a dynamic and growing business. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Entrepreneurial Award from Chicago Booth in 2009 for his achievements in public service, entrepreneurship, finance, and corporate leadership. In 2010, he won the United States Distance Learning Award for demonstrating Outstanding Leadership in the field of Distance Learning.

Mr. Packard holds a BA in economics and mechanical engineering with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a MBA with honors from The University of Chicago.

SOURCE K12 Inc.