The textbook publisher Pearson announced last week that it was acquiring Baltimore-based Connections Education, which operates virtual schools in 21 states and serves about 40,000 students. The acquisition is the latest in a string of mergers and acquisitions within the education technology sector, and it marks the first time that one of the largest textbook publishers has stepped so far into virtual education.
A version of this article appeared in the September 21, 2011 edition of Education Week as Pearson Buys Virtual Schools Company