Herndon-based online education provider K12 Inc. announced Wednesday it plans to hire more than 1,300 educators for the 2020 through 2021 school year, in light of a massive push to move education online during the pandemic. 

Across Virginia, schools have been making decisions regarding reopening in the fall, with some already opting for full online learning.

“As families look forward to the start of the new school year, and new students enter the virtual classroom for the first time, we are proud that they will be greeted by a growing core of highly-trained educators committed to their success,” Kevin Chavous, K12 president of academics, policy and schools, said in a statement.

According to K12, there are 51 million public school students and 3.7 million teachers in the United States — but nearly one-third of those teachers are more than 50 years old. K12 says that this puts them at increased risk during the pandemic. K12 currently employs 6,000 teachers who have specialized training in online education.

Those who are interested in applying are encouraged to visit K12’s career page.

“K12-powered teachers have the unique opportunity to work from the comfort and safety of home while being supported by a team with two decades of experience in online instruction,” the company’s Wednesday announcement reads.

K12 sells online curriculum and schooling to more than 2,000 schools among all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries. The company reported more than $1 billion in 2019 revenue, and its stock has been up by more than 100% this year.

In late June, the company also announced it had become a strategic partner of the Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a private-public partnership to help unemployed Virginians get back to work during COVID-19.

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