FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – What will school look like in the fall?
Educators are looking for parents’ input.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools posted an online survey for parents Friday.
Some of the questions for each household include:
- How many children attend school in the district?
- Can each child access a computer for assignments?
- Will the child need to check out a district-issued device for at-home use?
It comes as the district plans for the 2020-21 school year after finishing the current school year with online learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our plan is to start school earlier this year, beginning July 27 for academically fragile students,” Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
Parents in Miami-Dade are asked to complete their surveys by Friday, May 22. For more information, visit dadeschools.net/parents, where it can accessed in English, Spanish or Haitian-Creole.
Broward also weighing options
In Broward County, superintendent Robert Runcie talked on a zoom call Thursday about a spectrum of reopening options— ranging from continued distance learning to fully open campuses
One scenario discussed involved block learning. Half of the students would attend class on-campus Monday and Tuesday, the schools would be closed for cleaning Wednesday, and then the other half would attend Thursday and Friday.
Another possibility is extended day swing scheduling.
Nothing is set in stone, and a June 16 school board workshop is expected to broaden the conversation.
All of this comes on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reopening guidelines for schools, which include:
- Schools must protect employees and students who are “high risk”
- Schools must be able to screen students, employees, etc. when they arrive on campus for symptoms or possible exposure
- Strict hygiene and sanitation practices must be followed
- Employees must wear a face covering
- Social distancing will also be the new normal