Palo Alto School Board Votes To Outsource Distance Learning

PALO ALTO, CA — Palo Alto students who are enrolled in distance learning for the 2021-22 school year will be taught by Stride Learning Solutions, a provider of customized online curriculum for K-12 students that the Palo Alto school board voted on July 29 to use for the upcoming year.

District Superintendent Don Austin said during a school board meeting that outsourcing virtual teaching to a third party will help educators focus entirely on teaching the students inside their classrooms, Palo Alto Online reported.

"We want our teachers to teach," Austin said. "And quit doing things that we're not built to do."

California law requires that school districts provide an "independent study program" or remote learning option to families who feel that their children are at medical risk inside the classroom. Stride's program is specifically designed to meet the requirements of that law, the Palo Alto Unified School District said on its website.

The company will work "directly and closely" with the school district to monitor students' progress and engagement, the website says.

"The District partnership with Stride allows the District to provide California certified teachers who have been extensively trained in virtual learning without disenrolling PAUSD students," the PAUSD website says.

Read more from Palo Alto Online here.