The COVID-19 pandemic has turned parents’ attention to distance learning for next fall. According to a recent USA Today/Ipsos poll, if K-12 schools reopen in the fall with social distancing but no vaccine, more than half (59%) of people with school-age children will likely pursue at-home learning, including distance learning.

In February, I called the staff responsible for administering the “distance education” program in my school district, the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The AACPS program offered state-approved online courses provided by independent vendors, and I wanted to know how it worked.