As tech issues still mire Miami’s online learning platform, parents now have a say

For a smoother second week of school, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is allowing its teachers to use Microsoft Teams and its Zoom video chat counterpart if they experience any more issues with My School Online, the district’s new controversial online learning platform powered by a for-profit company called K12.

Now, the fourth-largest school district wants to hear from parents.

Parents received a survey late Monday to gauge their children’s learning experience so far. The short survey asks parents if their children experienced any issues with My School Online, if those issues improved, if their children used Teams and Zoom and, if so, what, if any, issues they have experienced with Teams and Zoom.

The district also asked families about their technology at home.

The survey also asks parents whether they see the value in using one online platform. That question could help decide K12’s fate.

Because so many parents complained during the spring that it was too hectic to keep track of each platform their child’s teachers used, M-DCPS sought a uniform platform that would serve as a one-stop shop for all students.

Thus, the district brought on the K12 program, in a $15 million no-bid contract over the summer to try to meet that goal.

But the district fielded stacks of complaints about the digital platform last week, the first week of virtual classes for 275,000 students and nearly 20,000 teachers. Teachers and students couldn’t see or hear each other, classes and their content had been deleted, and users were booted from the program, leading some students to be falsely marked as no shows.

The school district will assess by Friday whether to keep My School Online as its online platform. Last week, the district asked teachers and students in grades 6-12 to move off the platform and use Microsoft Teams and Zoom. That was the result of connectivity issues in Miami-Dade Schools and in issues the platform was reportedly having in other schools across the country in those grades.

Teachers and educators for grades Kindergarten through fifth were asked to remain on the platform. However, some teachers and schools pivoted to using Teams and Zoom full time.

Some teachers reported that curriculum was still missing from K12. Some students had access to the lessons while others didn’t, which means only some students could complete the work and others couldn’t, further raising the issue of inequity.

Some parents said their children missed whole classes if they missed the notification to switch to Teams and Zoom. Elementary school parents reported not being able to log in and issues with the camera and microphone. Some teachers said they were unable to share screens or see everyone in the class.

District spokeswoman Jackie Calzadilla said Tuesday was much smoother than last week’s chaotic debut, pointing to a decrease in calls to the district’s help desk. She said some issues were reported Tuesday, dealing with sound and audio issues. She also said there were “momentary” Internet issues.

The district has placed some of the blame on cyberattacks. At least 25 were reported as of Friday, eight of which the district said were orchestrated by a 16-year-old South Miami High student arrested Thursday by Miami-Dade Schools Police. The Miami Herald reported that the student, whom the Herald is not naming as he is a minor, used an unsophisticated tool that experts said was “easy to prevent.”

Those issues and complaints have fueled proposals to be discussed at what is likely to be a heated School Board meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Three board members are walking in four items relating to the disastrous first week of school.

Vice chair Steve Gallon has two items: The first seeks to get to the bottom of what went wrong, from how My School Online was chosen to teachers’ too-little, too-late training, relentless cyberattacks, alternatives to online learning and the district’s plans going forward.

His other proposal focuses on the district’s exemption to buy curriculum, like K12’s My School Online platform, without School Board approval.

Board member Marta Perez’s proposal considers terminating the K12 platform altogether. Board member Mari Tere Rojas’ proposal questions how ready was the district’s tech and security for a new, large-scale platform.

This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 9:20 PM.