MIAMI, Fla. – Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he believes this is just the beginning of an explosive growth of confirmed coronavirus cases.
“The threat to children and any one child coming into contact with (coronavirus) is too high, too great.”
Another major development: All testing students typically take in order to graduate or be promoted to the next grade level, including the SAT and ACT tests, have been cancelled.
“What that means for graduating seniors is only their required completed course work as well as GPA will count towards graduation,”said Carvalho.
Parents of students in other grade levels are already being given options. “Parents may, at their discretion, choose to keep their child in the same grade for the 20-21 school year,” said Florida Governor Ron Desantis.
“The challenge short term obviously is going to be this transition from a face-to-face interactive schooling to now a distance learning model,” said Carvahlo.
For days, Carvalho has said his district is ready to hand out 200,000 mobile devices for children who don’t have them. As of Tuesday, they have handed out more than 52,000. Parents have until Wednesday to pick up one of the devices, but they must call the school first.
In Miami-Dade, free meals for students will continue through the end of this week then resume after spring break.
Extending the school year is already part of the conversation. And so are graduation ceremonies with changes likely coming soon.
“If I were to project at this point whether or not we’re going to have standard graduation ceremonies, my take is probably not,” said Carvalho.
He is asking parents to have patience, compassion and understanding.