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"Teachers unions sue Florida’s governor over his order requiring schools to reopen despite virus surge."
"Teachers unions sued Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Monday over his emergency order pushing schools to fully reopen next month even as coronavirus cases in the state are surging. The suit, which appears to be the first of its kind across the country, sets up a confrontation between unions and politicians that could change the trajectory of school reopening over the coming weeks. In other parts of the country, including California and parts of Texas, many large school districts have concluded in recent days that it is not safe to hold in-person classes. But Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has been pushing for things to be different in Florida, which is home to five of the country’s 10 largest districts.
Earlier this month, Mr. DeSantis’s administration ordered schools across the state to reopen five days a week starting in August. His edict came as Mr. Trump called for schools to reopen nationwide and threatened to cut federal funding for districts that did not teach in person.
The American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s largest teachers union, and its local affiliate, the Florida Education Association, accused Mr. DeSantis of violating a Florida law requiring that schools be 'safe' and 'secure.' The unions, along with parent and teacher plaintiffs, asked a state court in Miami to block the governor’s reopening order and allow local school superintendents and health departments to have full control over reopening decisions. Mr. DeSantis’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, Florida became the eighth state where at least 5,000 people with the virus have died after it added a daily tally of 90 deaths. The state also added 10,347 cases. Public health experts have said districts should consider reopening only if they are in a region with a positive test rate at or below 5 percent. Miami-Dade County has recently reported positivity rates more than four times greater than that threshold, and the plaintiffs argue that it would be among the most dangerous places in the state to reopen schools.
Some local superintendents are skeptical that it will be safe to reopen so soon. “This is literally like sending people into battle, and without appropriate tools,” Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County schools, said last week when recommending that his district teach online despite the governor’s order.
The unions will argue that no public school district in the state should reopen as scheduled next month. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said she was frustrated that Mr. DeSantis did not follow the governors of hard-hit California and Texas, who have said in recent days that schools can open remotely.
'It’s as if he is in this intense denial that his state is terribly at risk,' Ms. Weingarten said."
www.nytimes.com
"Teachers unions sued Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Monday over his emergency order pushing schools to fully reopen next month even as coronavirus cases in the state are surging. The suit, which appears to be the first of its kind across the country, sets up a confrontation between unions and politicians that could change the trajectory of school reopening over the coming weeks. In other parts of the country, including California and parts of Texas, many large school districts have concluded in recent days that it is not safe to hold in-person classes. But Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has been pushing for things to be different in Florida, which is home to five of the country’s 10 largest districts.
Earlier this month, Mr. DeSantis’s administration ordered schools across the state to reopen five days a week starting in August. His edict came as Mr. Trump called for schools to reopen nationwide and threatened to cut federal funding for districts that did not teach in person.
The American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s largest teachers union, and its local affiliate, the Florida Education Association, accused Mr. DeSantis of violating a Florida law requiring that schools be 'safe' and 'secure.' The unions, along with parent and teacher plaintiffs, asked a state court in Miami to block the governor’s reopening order and allow local school superintendents and health departments to have full control over reopening decisions. Mr. DeSantis’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, Florida became the eighth state where at least 5,000 people with the virus have died after it added a daily tally of 90 deaths. The state also added 10,347 cases. Public health experts have said districts should consider reopening only if they are in a region with a positive test rate at or below 5 percent. Miami-Dade County has recently reported positivity rates more than four times greater than that threshold, and the plaintiffs argue that it would be among the most dangerous places in the state to reopen schools.
Some local superintendents are skeptical that it will be safe to reopen so soon. “This is literally like sending people into battle, and without appropriate tools,” Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County schools, said last week when recommending that his district teach online despite the governor’s order.
The unions will argue that no public school district in the state should reopen as scheduled next month. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said she was frustrated that Mr. DeSantis did not follow the governors of hard-hit California and Texas, who have said in recent days that schools can open remotely.
'It’s as if he is in this intense denial that his state is terribly at risk,' Ms. Weingarten said."
Republicans Begin New Relief Talks as Hopes Fade for Rapid Recovery (Published 2020)
Hong Kong’s experience provides a cautionary tale as it grapples with a new virus wave. Teachers’ unions sued Florida’s governor over an order requiring schools to reopen despite surging cases.
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