Miami-Dade Schools Will Remain Closed [Throughout All Of] April

Miami-Dade Schools Will Remain Closed [Throughout All Of] April


Public schools will remain closed for the entire month of April in the nation's fourth largest school district.

By Paul Scicchitano, Patch Staff 
Apr 1, 2020 1:22 am ET
Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced that district schools will remain closed until May 1 at the earliest.Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced that district schools will remain closed until May 1 at the earliest. (Photo by Paul Scicchitano)

MIAMI, FL — Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said Tuesday that public schools will remain closed for the entire month of April in the nation's fourth largest school district as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

"School closures are never ideal, but this extension is the most prudent move," Carvalho said noting the restrictions placed on communities throughout the county. "We have been preparing for a worst-case scenario since early on, and I am confident that our students and their families, with the guidance of our fantastic teachers, will continue to successfully engage in distance learning."

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert W. Runcie made a similar announcement Tuesday regarding Broward Schools, which will also stay closed until at least May 1.

Students and teachers in Miami-Dade began a second week of distance learning Monday with a number of online applications and assignments.

The district plans to provide online professional development opportunities for teachers on Thursday and Friday.

"Students are encouraged to continue engaging in online learning using the existing digital tools, but teachers will not have office hours during those two days," district officials said.

The district plans to roll out the next phase of its home instruction program on April 6 as officials prepare for an extended closure.

Attendance will be taken through sign-ins on the student portal. Students will receive an attendance confirmation alert.

"If a student fails to log into the portal, his or her parents will receive an automated phone call the next day by noon, indicating the student was marked absent," district officials said. "Absences can be appealed by emailing the school administrator."

Visit attendanceservices.dadeschools.net for more information on attendance.

Teachers will record a minimum of one grade per week, per subject in the official gradebook. Teachers will allow students to make up any missed assignments throughout the entire grading period and/or the reopening of school for the 2019-20 school year.

"Teachers will contact parents and/or the school guidance counselor if students are not engaged in the assigned lessons and assignments as appropriate and necessary," district officials warned.

Click here to see an information sheet for students and parents along with Frequently Asked Questions.

Students, parents/caregivers and teachers can also call the Distance Learning Helpline at 305-995-HELP from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Monday and Friday. The helpline is available in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole.

Teacher planning days and legal holidays outlined in the 2019-2020 schools calendar will continue as planned. The calendar is available here.

Six Miami-Dade high schools will also continue to offer drive-thru electronic device distribution for students between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

You can find the list of schools here.

"Arrangements have also been made to accommodate students who are homeless or live in migrant camps," according to district officials.

Call 305-995-3000 for more information. District officials said some 70,000 mobile devices had already been distributed as of Monday.

Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country are available for free as need, including for non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. A map of available hotspots can be found here. Comcast has created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media. Customers can say "education" into their X1 or Flex voice remotes.

AT&T is offering Internet access for limited income households at $10 a month through the Access from AT&T program. The company is offering two months of free service to qualifying students. Click here for more information.

High school students can request a Samsung phone from their school, which doubles as a mobile hotspot.

"So far, the district has distributed more than 11,000 smartphones to high school students," according to district officials. "The district has just received an additional 1,000 phones for student use.

Visit distancelearning.dadeschools.net/ for more information about connectivity.

M-DCPS launched its distance learning plan for adult, career and technical education. All teachers and adult students can access instructional lessons and resource content through program-specific links provided online. One thousand devices are being provided to support adult and career/technical education students.

Adult Education students can click here for more information. Career/Technical Education students can click here. You can also call 305-558-8000 .

The following are Miami-Dade telephone hotlines which are available between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday:

  • District Emergency Operations: 305-995-3000
  • Instructional Continuity Plan: 305-995-HELP (4357)
  • Adult and Career/Technical Education: 305-558-8000
  • Mental Health Services for students/parents: 305-995-7100
  • Employee Assistance Program: 305-995-7111

M-DCPS Online Resources: