Learning Options October Newsflash

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 10/27/2025 03:33 PM PDT

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Exciting Changes Are Coming!

Learning Options brings in the 2025-26 school year with a new team and an ongoing commitment to flexible learning opportunities for all students.

Your Learning Options Team (from left to right)

Mandy Paradise, Associate Director
Lindsey Maehlum, Director
Sara Foppiano, Administrative Assistant
Anissa Sharratt, Associate Director

Our Goal

Our goal is to streamline all flexible learning options to better support coherency across the system. Our priority continues to be service to students by ensuring rigorous, learner-centered options in every community.

As we move forward in our work, you will see the term flexible learning options (FLO) used to describe a wide variety of programs, including:

ALE
Open Doors
Online learning
Home-based instruction

The FLO acronym will show up as a reminder that flexibility in how students learn and demonstrate their learning is a key support to their post-secondary success.

Using the High School & Beyond Plan as a Tool

We are working across OSPI to better align how we measure student success and to increase the visibility of FLO programs throughout the agency. One current example is our ongoing collaboration with the High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) team to ensure that students in FLO programs have equitable access to SchooLinks, the new universal statewide HSBP platform. With SchooLinks, FLO students can fully participate in college and career readiness activities, explore postsecondary options, and connect their plans to real-world opportunities. This collaboration is an important step toward ensuring that all students—no matter their learning setting—have consistent opportunities to plan for their futures and demonstrate success in ways that reflect their strengths and goals.

Contact Us!

As always, our team is available to answer questions, share guidance, and provide technical support. We encourage you to contact our department with any questions you have.

Please contact us at learningoptions@k12.wa.us or call 360-725-6229.

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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