Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says there is a strong need to reopen schools. He says keeping them closed will lead to depression, social isolation and a higher dropout rate. However, he adds that parents should be able to keep children at home if they fear the coronovirus.
Meanwhile, across the country, Arizona officials are also looking at ways to get back to some semblance of educational normalcy.
In an address on a state-run television channel Wednesday, DeSantis also said that if school districts want to delay opening, or allow teachers to work remotely, they should be allowed to do so.
A Florida teachers union has filed a lawsuit seeking to block what it calls “reckless and unsafe reopening” of public schools for face-to-face instruction.
The governor acknowledged there are worries about returning children to school, but added that “it should also be asked how safe it is to keep schools closed.”
In Arizona, the state's top education official says districts should be empowered to reopen campuses for the new school year based on public health data instead of committing now to specific reopening dates.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman says she has outlined her priorities to Gov. Doug Ducey. He is expected to announce the next steps for school reopenings this week.
Ducey previously announced that schools would not reopen until Aug. 17, weeks after they normally open. Hoffman says schools need guarantees of full funding for distance learning.around 350 places in early June.
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