Florida's education commissioner told NBC News all public schools must reopen to students in-person when the academic year begins in August, even as cases of the coronavirus surge in the state.
In the emergency order, Commissioner Richard Corcoran called schools "not just the site of academic learning" but also crucial places in students' lives that provide "nutrition, socialization, counseling and extracurricular activities," according to NBC News, adding their reopening was critical to "a return to Florida hitting its full economic stride."
Corcoran's order, which pertains to the fall semester, requires Florida schools to open "at least five days per week for all students" subject to guidance from public health officials, according to NBC News. Coronavirus cases in Florida recently have topped 206,000, and the daily number of new cases has reached record levels, NBC reported.
The mandate stunned some Florida educators, including Amy Spies.
Spies, a fourth grade teacher in Daytona Beach, told NBC her small classroom cannot accommodate the recommended 6 feet of space between each of her 22 students.
“I can think of no other industry forcing an entire workforce into such an unsafe environment,” Spies told NBC. “It is physically impossible to meet [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] social distancing requirements if schools are at full capacity.”
Corcoran admitted to NBC News that some families, particularly those with medical vulnerabilities, will not feel comfortable sending their kids back for face-to-face instruction. He told NBC that school boards can submit remote learning plans for such students. Corcoran’s order put a heavy emphasis on schools opening their doors to every student, NBC reported.
In June, Gov. Ron DeSantis recommended that all Florida schools reopen at full capacity, arguing that parents would not be able to return to work unless schools followed through.
DeSantis’ recommendation did not go as far as the education commissioner’s order, and DeSantis left the final say up to school districts, according to NBC News.
Some counties, such as Miami-Dade, planned on offering a mix of in-person and remote learning courses, NBC News reported.
Credit: Alex Brandon
Credit: Alex Brandon
On Tuesday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos assailed plans by some local districts to offer in-person instruction only a few days a week and said schools must be "fully operational" even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Anything less, she said, would fail students and taxpayers.
DeVos made the comments during a call with governors as the Trump administration launched an all-out effort to get schools and colleges to reopen. Audio of the call was obtained by The Associated Press.
“Ultimately, it’s not a matter of if schools need to open, it’s a matter of how. School must reopen; they must be fully operational. And how that happens is best left to education and community leaders,” DeVos told governors.
President Donald Trump has insisted that schools and colleges return to in-person instruction as soon as possible. Trump said Monday on Twitter that Democrats want to keep schools closed "for political reasons, not for health reasons."
“They think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!” Trump tweeted.
The CDC put out guidance for schools last month, including staggering schedules, spreading out desks, having meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, adding physical barriers between bathroom sinks and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
In the call with governors, DeVos slammed districts that plan to offer in-person instruction only a few days a week. She called out Fairfax County Public Schools, which is asking families to decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week in the classroom.
“A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,” DeVos said, noting the district’s distance learning last spring was a “disaster.”
Her criticism of schools’ distance education efforts extended across the country. DeVos said she was disappointed in schools that “didn’t figure out how to serve students or who just gave up and didn’t try.” She said more than one state education chief told her they also were disappointed in districts that did “next to nothing to serve their students.”
The same thing can’t happen again this fall, she said, urging governors to play a role in getting schools to reopen.
“Students across the country have already fallen behind. We need to make sure that they catch up,” DeVos said. “It’s expected that it will look different depending on where you are, but what’s clear is that students and their families need more options.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
