LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In just two short years, the teaching landscape has changed so much. Many Arkansas teachers are choosing to teach from home and one Arkansas online academy is looking for more teachers to do the same.

The workday for Melissa Curiel starts like most teachers, but her commute is short, as the gateway to her classroom can be…anywhere.

“You don’t have busy duty or lunch duty, or you know, car line duty,” laughed Melissa Curiel, teacher at Arkansas Connections Academy.

The veteran educator teaches online for the online academy based out of Northwest Arkansas.

Since COVID, the online academy’s enrollment has nearly doubled.

“It tells me that parents are starting to see virtual learning as a true and viable option,” Curiel said.

Three thousand families are choosing the computer over the classroom.

“If they’re having a little bit of hesitation of going back to brick and mortar because of the pandemic and the variant that is now out, it’s an option that they’re seeing is really working for them and their family,” Curiel said.

To meet the demand, the school needs more Arkansas state-certified teachers.

“We’re looking for teachers all over the state,” Curiel said. “You can work anywhere in the state. They don’t have to work in the northwest Arkansas area.”

The academy needs teachers who are willing to learn how to teach online.

“I mean, it’s different,” Curiel said. “Of course, it’s different. You can’t just pull kids back to your small table if you see they’re struggling.”

If you have a teaching license from the state of Arkansas, you can apply to teach at Arkansas Connections Academy.

The school says the pay scale and the retirement system is comparable to surrounding public school districts.

Teachers interested in applying and parents interested in enrolling their children can learn more by clicking HERE.