Our Founder

Our Founder

Barbara Dreyer (1955 – 2014) was the co-founder and CEO of Connections Education, now a division of Pearson, from the company’s founding in October, 2001 until her passing in September, 2014.

Barbara was a leader who inspired others through her intelligence, integrity, and grace.  She was one of the pioneers in the field of K-12 online learning—an enthusiastic booster of its benefits and potential, but also an insightful critic who sought ways to continuously improve the online learning experience and results.  She succeeded as leader of Connections Education by caring first and foremost about those she served, the students and families enrolled in Connections-affiliated schools.  This commitment led her to establish the Barbara J. Dreyer Cares Foundation in 2011, which continues her legacy today.

Below we share a few of the many tributes made in remembrance of Barbara:

• Mourning the loss of a great colleague: Barbara Dreyer, a blog entry by John Fallon, Pearson CEO
• Barbara Dreyer: A Champ To The End, an article in Forbes by Michael Horn
• Lessons in Leadership: Remembering Barbara Dreyer by Tom Vander Ark 
• Barbara Dreyer – “A Beacon of Inspiration” by Jeanne Allen, Senior Fellow and president emeritus at the Center for Education Reform
• Passing of a Beacon of Inspiration: Barbara Dreyer, by Katrina Stevens in EdSurge
• Barbara Dreyer, founder of online education firm, by Jacques Kelly in The Baltimore Sun