Flexibility and Collaboration
Each student is entirely unique and their learning journey should be as flexible as possible to help them grow into adults who continue to love learning and who have had the opportunity to find their passions. Traditional schooling, with a set schedule, bell to bell activities, everyone in the class doing the same thing at the same time, does not work for all students. At the Pleasanton Virtual Academy, we are able to do things differently, think outside of the box, and collaborate with the student on their learning goals.
Passionate and Creative Staff
The teaching staff at the Pleasanton Virtual Academy are trailblazers! They are passionate about meeting the individual needs of each student, about nurturing their interests and supporting them through challenges. A student at the Pleasanton Virtual Academy will be supported by a team, from the content area specialists to their assigned learning coach, to the administrators and counselor, the student will have an abundance of support. Teachers are all properly credentialed members of the Pleasanton Unified School District team.
Curriculum and Instruction
Because we utilize the independent study model, daily in-person attendance is not required. This does not mean that the student will not receive a rigorous curriculum and instruction. Students will access instruction, activities, and some assessments asynchronously. Meaning, they can learn when it works best for them. Meetings with their learning coaches will take place one time per week with additional meetings with content area specialists in the upper grades. In addition, throughout the trimester (elementary) or semester (secondary) students will be provided with a multitude of in-person experiences to further their learning of the curriculum. This could be a field trip to the zoo, an overnight trip to nature camp, a lab activity at one of the Pleasanton High School's lab facilities, an in-person visit from an author, an exploration of a local museum, the possibilities are endless! Our staff is eager to take advantage of the flexibility of the schedule to bring real-life learning to our students.
Student & Supporter Responsibilities
Our staff will assist with schedules and time management. Ultimately, this type of learning requires a degree of self-sufficiency. For the lower (elementary grades) this means more assistance from the student supporter (parent or guardian). Some families who prefer to homeschool their students enjoy the benefits of receiving curriculum, guidance, assessments, and in-person learning opportunities while still maintaining the freedom and flexibility of a home school. Upper grade students will need to manage their time daily as adequate academic progress is a requirement to remain enrolled. Our students and families will receive much support. That said, for some students the daily structure of in-person school works best, the Virtual Academy is excellent for many students and we completely understand that it is not the best solution for all. We're thrilled to provide a flexible, high-quality, collaborative, college prep experience for students and families seeking an alternative to a traditional seat-based school.