Miami-Dade County Public Schools Wants Parent Input On Possible Reopening Plans For 2020-2021 School Year
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami Dade County Public Schools educates nearly 350,000 students. On Friday the parents and guardians of those students received some homework.
Miami-Dade Schools wants them to fill out a survey, weighing in on possible reopening plans for the next school year as society grapples with COVID-19. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said it's important for the voices of parents and guardians to be heard.
"It is important for us to understand parents expectations, their concerns and certainly understand the unique crisis and challenges they are individually facing," Carvalho said.
Miami-Dade Schools is studying a number of options for what school might look like in the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.
"We are prepared to teach kids at home," Carvalho said. "We are prepared to teach kids half time in school and part of the time at home or 100 percent at school."
In the survey, Miami-Dade County Public Schools wants to know parent's opinions about the effectiveness of online learning and the effectiveness of cleaning procedures at schools to keep kids safe and healthy. Miami-Dade Schools also want to know how parents feel about children having their temperatures taken at school, wearing face coverings and eating in the classroom instead of the cafeteria.
These are important questions that school districts in Florida and across the country are considering. School leaders are wondering if parents and guardians will be comfortable sending their children back to school in August or September or if schools will even be able to open by then. There are also concerns about how working parents would handle more distance learning.
Broward County schools also wrapped up a big survey this week. They asked parents about distance learning and how it's worked out so far. It's likely Broward Schools will have some results next week.
Despite the uncertainty of the coronavirus and how the situation might evolve over the summer, Carvalho is sure of one thing — the decision on what school will look like for the upcoming school year will be based on sound advice.
"There's a lot that we do not know and the decision to bring students back into a physical environment shall be guided by science, medical opinion and the best logistics how to do it safety in Miami," he said.
If you are a parent or a guardian of children attending Miami-Dade County Public Schools, you can find the survey on the Miami-Dade Schools website or through the school system's social media pages. Click here to get to it.
