Video recording of 8/4/20 PUSD Special Board Meeting

Distance Learning and Learning Hubs or Independent Study

In consideration of the safety of our school communities and creating a consistent learning experience for all students the Plumas Unified School District Governing Board voted 4-0 to return to school on August 24th via distance learning with learning hubs, a small, consistent group of students that meets in person with school staff for a limited amount of time.  

This difficult decision was made only after many long hours of planning for in-person instruction and the belief that with every safety precaution in place we would be able to accomplish offering all three options for our students.  

There are several key factors that influenced this decision including data which reflects when opening a new sector there will be an increase of positive cases.  While we have plans in place for when this happens including when to close a classroom, school and district, the end result is to implement distance learning.  

In addition, the staffing considerations and lack of available substitutes is a real concern as we don’t have the option of increasing class sizes.  Also, the increased anxiety related to the return to school is very real for many of our employees and families.  We are taking this into consideration along with the many other related details.  

Along with distance learning, we will be working together to implement learning hubs:

What is a learning hub?

• A small, consistent group of students that meets in person with school staff for a limited amount of time

• Will allow social interaction and support in accessing distance learning

• May or may not be aligned with a grade level and may include family units at a school site

• Optional for families 

Types of support available in a learning hub may include:

• Technological- internet access

• Digital skills development- navigating distance learning

  • How to use our new Learning Management System-Canvas

  • Support with Google 

• Assessment- time and place to take proctored assessments

• Access to materials and resources- paper, books, etc…

• Social/Emotional- connections to peers

We will be sending out a notification on Wednesday, August 5th, to sign up for one of these learning options.