The Florida Education Association, the largest teachers union in the US state, has sued Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday for pressure from his Administration to completely reopen all public schools next month, despite the increase in cases that are registered in the territory.
The union accuses DeSantis, among others, of violating the constitutional mandate that public schools must be kept “safe and secure.” The group has also asked the Miami-based court to stop the governor’s reopening edict, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by NBC News television.
“Governor DeSantis needs a reality check and we are trying to provide him with one,” Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram said in a statement. “The governor must accept the reality of the situation here in Florida, where the virus is out of control,” he said.
Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran issued an emergency order specifying that schools “are not only places of academic learning,” but are facilities where “nutritional, socialization, and extracurricular” activities take place. . Thus, he indicated that reopening the schools is “crucial” for Florida “to reach its full economic rhythm.”
Corcoran’s order requires schools to be open at least five days a week for all students, a recommendation subject to the guidance of Florida health authorities. For his part, DeSantis, who is a Republican, has recommended that all schools in the state be reopened at full capacity. In his opinion, if the educational centers remain closed, the parents will not be able to return to work.
The Administration of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President himself have been insisting for days that the educational centers of the United States should reopen in the fall, an issue that has become one of the most sensitive in the country while seeking to retake the normal during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended reopening guidelines that include, but are not limited to, children being able to stay home when appropriate.
They also suggest promoting hygiene, the use of cloth covers, a staggered schedule or a distribution of desks that allows physical distance. Trump publicly rejected these recommendations, arguing that they are “difficult and expensive.”
Florida is dealing with a significant increase in the new coronavirus cases it registers. This same Monday, it has confirmed more than 10,000 additional. It is not the only state in which the pandemic is marking alarming figures, since Texas or Arizona are also witnessing separate upsurges.
The United States is the country in the world most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 3.8 million confirmed positives, including more than 140,000 deaths.
