School Board Unanimously Approves Board Item to Provide Parental Training and Support for Digital Learning
Hy-Lo News Staff Report
With the world as we know it being forever changed from the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks like students will have to remain home from school for the unforeseeable future. Many parents lamented on how tough playing parent, provider and school instructor was when everything was suddenly shutdown in March and the world was forced to quarantine for our safety. However, thanks to a new Miami-Dade County school board initiative, parents will be provided with tools to assist them in having to be at home teachers this upcoming school year.
At the School Board Meeting of July 15, 2020, School Board Vice Chair Dr. Steve Gallon III proffered Board Agenda Item H-12, Parental Training and Support for Digital Learning, to provide training for parents on the effective and efficient use of distance/digital learning and related platforms in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year. The item received unanimous approval and co-sponsorship from the Board.
The Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) remains committed to the education, health, safety, and overall welfare of its students, employees, parents, and community stakeholders. As the district, state, nation, and world continue to grapple with negative consequences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased and intensified focus on the reopening of schools and the role that distance/digital learning and related platforms will play in the education of students at home.
The sudden, unanticipated closure of school campuses and transition to distance learning beginning March 16, 2020, compelled parents and guardians to assume the roles of teachers and serve as deliverers of instruction with little to no time to prepare and with little to no formalized, structured training and/or support.
Given the recent increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, these trends raise the likelihood of an increased demand for parents to access distance/digital learning options for their children for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. Doing so will require a more strategic, deliberate, and thoughtful plan of action around training and related support for parents in not only the use of distance/digital learning platforms and technologies, but also in establishing daily routines and activities to ensure maximum engagement of their children in meaningful, structured learning activities. Ultimately, these combined efforts will improve the quality of the distance/digital learning experiences for parents, teachers, and students, and more importantly, student learning and achievement during these educationally challenging times.
“Clearly, the district has done a great job in the provision of technological and other resources for parents and their children. However, knowledge and capacity are the most important resources with which we must equip parents and guardians, especially those from underserved families and communities,” Dr. Gallon stated.
“While there is continued public and political posturing and pontificating around the reopening of schools, there are real families, real children, and real parents in a state of panic around the need for training, support, and assistance in the education of their children through distance/digital learning. I am proud and grateful to my colleagues on the Board for their unanimous affirmation and continued commitment to meeting the ongoing needs of our parents, and most importantly, their children.”
To read the full item, click the link below: http://schoolboard.dadeschools.net/documents/agenda/h12.pdf
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