TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that schools will remain closed and students will do virtual learning until at least April 15.
He also noted all testing for the state’s public schools has been cancelled, and they will remain closed until April 15.
“From this school year on, all remaining testing for school readiness, voluntary pre-K, and K-12 will be cancelled for the school year,” DeSantis said Tuesday afternoon. “Requirements for graduation, promotion and final course grades will be evaluated as though the assessments did not exist. Parents may, at their discretion, choose to keep their child in the same grade for the 2021 school year.”
DeSantis also said Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran may reduce required K-12 instructional hours as necessary to accommodate for closures.
“K-12 grades will not be calculated for 2019-2020, and schools and turn around may continue their current status next year to avoid disruption to school leadership and operations,” DeSantis said.
Corcoran said, “What we’ve said basically to the K-12 schools is we’re extending not going onto the campus until April 15. Because we did that, as the governor said, you can’t have kids come back, and then, you need about two weeks, so we’d be into May for testing, so it’s not going to work.”
Officials said school districts should be prepared to extend their educational calendars through June 30, to the extent feasible and necessary.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the 52,000 devices passed out last Saturday will be used for those extra two weeks.
“We are ready at Miami-Dade to continue after spring break the instructional continuity plan implementation, which relies on digital content, as well as the devices that are in the hands of children already,” Carvalho said.
Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie tweeted out that the district will be distributing computer devices for students in need beginning Friday.
https://twitter.com/RobertwRuncie/status/1240051359522656257?s=20
“We don’t know. We don’t know what we’re going to do now, because almost everywhere is closed, and nobody can go nowhere,” Lindor Erole, a parent in Broward County, said.
“I have multiple children at home, and homework, their grades and being home constantly with their siblings is going to be a little bit harder for them,” Susette, a parent, said. “They’re going to lose focus.”
Graduation for Miami-Dade high school students will likely look very different this year compared to previous years.
“If I were to project at this point whether or not we’re going to have standard graduation ceremonies, my take is probably not,” Carvalho said.
Officials also said all public state colleges and universities will remain closed throughout the remainder of the semester, and schools are encouraged to continue teaching their students virtually.
A spring break camp previously scheduled for Broward County students has been cancelled.
Officials also announced that schools will not be receiving letter grades for this school year.
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