Florida Education Commissioner Mandates Schools to Open in Fall

Posted on by Sophie Robinson

Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran has issued an executive order requiring all of Florida’s public K-12 schools to reopen in August.

What We Know:

  • The executive order issued Monday by Corcoran requires all school districts and charter school governing boards to open schools at least five days per week for all students starting in August.
  • “Upon reopening in August, all school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools at least five days per week for all students, subject to advice and orders of the Florida Department of Health, local departments of health, Executive Order 20-149 and subsequent executive orders,” the order reads.
  • “Education is critical to the success of the state and to an individual, and extended school closures can impede the educational success of students, impact families’ well-being and limit many parents and guardians from returning to work,” wrote Corcoran in the order.
  • School districts must also provide “the full array of services that are required by law so that families who wish to educate their children in a brick and mortar school have the opportunity to do so”.
  • Included within the curriculum is in-person instruction, specialized instruction, and services for students with Individualized Education Programs, English-language learners as well as live synchronous or asynchronous instruction. If the school chooses to utilize live synchronous or asynchronous instruction, it must have the same curriculum as in-person instruction and offer students the ability to interact with teachers and peers.
  • The districts are all required to monitor the progress of students both in the classroom and those learning remotely and are required to report back to the education department regularly. However, extra support will be provided to those who choose to continue remote learning. The order reads, “students who are receiving instruction through innovative teaching methods must be provided additional support and the opportunity to transition to another teaching method if they fail to make adequate progress”.
  • If the district chooses to offer “innovative teaching methods” through live synchronous or asynchronous instruction, they will be required to submit a reopening plan to the Florida Department of Education that satisfies all the requirements. However, the order makes it so school campuses will have to open regardless of whether parents decide their students will attend in-person or remote online classes.
  • The executive order follows President Trump’s tweet earlier in the day that read, “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” Public officials in Florida, including Governor Ron DeSantis, have shown support in recent weeks of President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus as well as his campaign, accepting the move of the Republic National Convention from Charlotte, North Carolina to Jacksonville despite health and safety concerns during the pandemic.

  • Local health officials can override the commissioner’s directive if it is not safe to open schools, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the announcement makes it clear that districts have to prepare to open their doors to all students in August. While health officials could deem schools unsafe, as long as there are not widespread shutdowns, it could be tough to single out schools. “Logically, I don’t think they could say schools aren’t safe if they are allowing people to be out in public,” Department of Education spokeswoman Cheryl Etters said.
  • Corcoran has been met with some pushback from faculty, staff, and parents across Floridian school districts. Many critics of the order condemn Corcoran for ignoring the surge in coronavirus cases in the state.

  • Manatee School Board member Charlie Kennedy said he understood the need to get students back in schools, but “Corcoran’s order puts staff at risk and upends months of planning by district officials“. Kennedy added, “the state’s teachers union has got to sue over this. It is forcing compromised staff back to work.”
  • Sarasota School Board Vice-Chairwoman Shirley Brown said it wasn’t fair for the state to issue directives, especially because local property taxes largely fund the schools. “School boards are supposed to run the schools, but the governor and the DOE, they are the ones who make the rules on how we get paid for our students,” she said.

The current executive order is temporary and only applies to the upcoming fall semester.

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