On this Wednesday, May 13, episode of Sundial:
What Will Broward County Schools Look Like In The Fall?
Broward County Schools, like other school districts across the state, have transitioned to distance learning since the coronavirus pandemic began and school campuses closed.
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Broward County is one of the few school districts in the country that takes students’ attendance. According to the Center of Reinventing Public Education, less than a third of school districts in the United States are doing roll calls.
But what will Broward schools look like in the fall when the new school year begins?
“Face-to-face interaction is extremely important to our kids,” said superintendent Robert Runcie, about the district's need to return to in-class teaching.
Though they are preparing for safety changes within campuses, in case students return in August, it is unclear how schools will reopen. The district is holding a public meeting June 16 to address concerns surrounding reopening. Runcie joined Sundial to discuss some of the challenges the school district is facing.
A Halt In Remittances To Latin America
Many immigrants in South Florida who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic have stopped sending remittances to family back in Latin America and the Carribean. Undocumented immigrants in the United States are not eligible for coronavirus relief funds and are not able to apply for unemployment benefits.
Remittances make up a huge part of the economies of a number of Latin American countries. It’s estimated in Honduras and El Salvador, that they make up close to 20 percent of total gross domestic product. In Haiti, that figure is closer to 30 percent. Latin Americans who count on an income from family members working in the states could soon not be able to afford rent, medicines, and food.
Sundial spoke with Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald reporter Lautaro Grinspan about the impact of the coronavirus and what the future of remittances could look like in the next few years.
Is Six Feet Enough Social Distancing? A Florida Atlantic University Study Says Maybe Not
Social distancing has become the new normal in public areas like grocery stores and restaurants, with a recommended six feet of distance.
But a recent study by the Florida Atlantic University Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering found certain types of coughs and sneezes can travel beyond the recommended six feet.
Dr. Manhar Dhanak, who’s chair of the department, led the experiments and joined Sundial to talk about the use of flow visualization technology and what they found.
