VTVLC Administrator Profile
Get to Know VTVLC Assistant Director, Ashley Newton
Newton (left) with her daughter, Quinn (right).
Ashley Newton first became affiliated with VTVLC in 2013, as an online history teacher. In 2019, however, Newton took on the role of Assistant Director at VTVLC, a role in which she oversees the K-12 Academic Programs, and supports the Student Support Team as well as adjunct and partner teachers.
Newton was initially inspired to become an educator by her high school English teacher, Bob Hagan.
“Hagan had a wonderful way of making school come alive,” Newton said. “Most importantly, he ensured students felt like they were seen and valued.”
Hoping to provide the same personalized experience to students, while sharing with them lessons from the past, Newton became a social studies teacher and soon taught her first online class and realized how valuable virtual education is. Offering a personalized experience, many students can customize their own pace and determine how and when they will focus on their coursework, a level of independence that builds skills that students may utilize in a future workplace or learning environment.
“Students have the flexibility to access their courses on a schedule that best suits their needs,” Newton said. “Learning online also provides an opportunity for students to explore an area they are passionate about.”
To Newton, teaching online was an opportunity to be at the forefront of education technology and make a meaningful impact on students’ lives.
“Working at a virtual school is groundbreaking and exciting,” Newton said. “I get jazzed every day when I think of all the new ways we are changing the view of education and the learning experience of students.”
Now, Newton is able to impact online students organization-wide, not just in her history classes. In her tenure as Assistant Director, Newton has seen VTVLC break new ground with a full-time K-8 program and increased staffing. Newton has also worked closely with the principals of VTVLC’s full time programs, K-8 Principal Jennifer Hindes and 9-12 Principal Jess Leo.
Ashley Newton |
|
Role |
VTVLC Assistant Director |
Years at VTVLC |
10 |
Content Area Before Becoming an Administrator |
Social Studies |
While our students are not sharpening their pencils, they are charging their devices, organizing their work environment, and preparing to utilize their executive functioning skills to manage their time and communicate with a variety of educators and their peers.
Moving forward, Newton hopes to continue to improve the experiences of all stakeholders who interact with VTVLC and provide them with the best online educational experience. As well as grow to support Vermont students by expanding the VTVLC course catalog, establishing new partnerships with school districts, and continuing to offer K-12 full-time learning experiences for students.
Newton’s major focus area for the 2023 – 2024 school year is instilling the values of collaboration, connection, and community, which she says VTVLC promotes through discussion-based assessments and student support meetings, to name two examples.
“I hope that our students will connect with their virtual teachers and find comfort in knowing the VTVLC staff is available to support them,” Newton said. “We have a strong and thriving VTVLC community filled with compassion.”
When students take a class with VTVLC, Newton says, they are embarking on an academic journey that includes rigorous exploration of a specific subject.
“While our students are not sharpening their pencils, they are charging their devices, organizing their work environment, and preparing to utilize their executive functioning skills to manage their time and communicate with a variety of educators and their peers,” Newton said. “I advise new and returning students to VTVLC to give themselves grace, ask for help, create a routine for doing their classwork and checking their emails, and establish connections with a member of the student support team and their teachers.”