Miami-Dade
County Public Schools (M-DCPS) strives
to safely return students to the physical schoolhouse for the 2020-2021 school
year, but recognizes that doing so will not be possible while Miami-Dade County
remains in Phase 1 of The Plan for
Florida’s Recovery. M-DCPS’
tentative schools reopening plan will be enacted only once Miami-Dade County is
in Phase 2. The plan is built to ensure M-DCPS can rapidly pivot, if
necessary, in response to a shift back to Phase 1 or to a broader reopening
under a transition to Phase 3.
M-DCPS will
continue to closely monitor the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and
prioritize, above all, the wellbeing of students and employees. M-DCPS will
also remain a Choice district where parents have the power to make decisions
and select the best course of action for their children. They will have the
flexibility to select their children’s fall enrollment plan based on their
preference and comfort level between distance learning or physical in-school
instruction, or a possible combination of both.
Parents will
have from today through Friday, July 10 to indicate which fall semester
enrollment plan they are choosing for their child. Parents of current M-DCPS
students can find the short questionnaire on the Parent Portal or the
Dadeschools Mobile app.
If parents cannot locate the form on the Parent Portal or the mobile
application, they can visit reopening.dadeschools.net
to fill out and email or print the form and return it directly to their child’s
school. Form pickup and dropoff at schools will be available from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. Forms will also be made available at the schools for pickup during those
times. Parents of new students must complete the physical form and take it to
the intended school of enrollment, in person.
On the questionnaire, parents will indicate whether they intend to have their
child return to a brick-and-mortar school in the fall for up to five days a
week, with the understanding that depending on the school building utilization
(the student enrollment divided by the permanent capacity of the school), it
may be through a hybrid model – blending in-school learning with a specially
designed eLearning component, and following stringent public health protocols
and guidelines.
Parents will
also have the option to select My School Online (MSO), which will hold a
student’s placement at the current school and will enable distance learning,
directly under the guidance and in conjunction with their assigned
teacher.
MSO is M-DCPS’ distance learning option for those students in grades K-12 who
wish to take online classes full-time but still maintain their connection to
their enrolled schools. Its design is based on feedback received from parents
on distance learning during the recent school closures. It incorporates many of
the features that parents and students valued, such as a single online platform
to access digital course content, and virtual real-time interaction with
teachers each day for every class.
MSO provides a
learning model that reflects the District’s commitment to providing students
with high-quality instructional experiences and to meeting the needs of
students and their families during these uncertain times.
Students who
choose to participate in MSO will receive remote instruction from M-DCPS
teachers using high-quality course materials and will follow the standard
school schedule and bell times. All core subject areas will be available
through MSO. However, because not all electives can be provided through an
online environment, elective offerings in MSO are limited. Teachers will meet
with students daily and utilize web conferencing technology to provide direct
instruction, administer checks for understanding, and assist students with their
assignments.
The daily
student-teacher interactions will provide a structure similar to a classroom
setting and teachers will facilitate and guide student learning. In addition to
the virtual class meetings, teachers will be available to respond to individual
students daily. Students participating in MSO will maintain their enrollment
status at their brick-and-mortar school and will be permitted to return to
their schools.
Please visit reopening.dadeschools.net for
additional information, incuding health protocols included in the M-DCPS school
reopening plan. Parents may also contact the M-DCPS Distance Learning helpline
at 305-995-HELP.
For
the most up-to-date information, please download the Dadeschools mobile app to
your iPhone or Android device. Follow us on Twitter @mdcps and @miamisup, on Instagram @miamischools and @miamisup, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools and AlbertoCarvalho
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