PLATO Learning, the online learning solutions provider, will be sold to Thoma Bravo for about $143 million.

PLATO shares immediately shot up to $5.55, just slightly off the full Thoma Bravo offer amount, up about 13% in early morning Friday trading. Thoma Bravo’s offer, however, represents a 34% premium on what PLATO shares traded for during the 90 days leading up to March 25.

Holden Spaht, a principal with Thoma Bravo, worked on the deal for the private equity firm. Vin Reira, president and chief executive with PLATO, will remain in a lead role with the organization.

Thomas Weisel Partners was exclusive financial advisor to PLATO, and Craig-Hallum Capital provided a fairness opinion to its directors.

Thoma Bravo has been on a bit of an acquisitive roll lately; earlier this month, the PE firm’s Hyland Software acquired eWebHealth. Already, its education portfolio includes the Porter & Chester Institute and Excelligence Learning Corp.

Late last year, a flurry of consolidation deals emerged in the education space, with PE selling assets. Sterling Capital Partners bought, in October 2009, assets from a pair of multimedia education companies. Additionally, the Princeton Review bought Penn Foster Education Group from its private equity owners The Wicks Group.

Cambium Learning Group, the listed, Texas-based company owned by Veronis Suhler Stevenson, completed its merger with listed Voyager Learning Co. in December 2009.