ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran says parents will continue to have the choice to keep their students doing remote learning.
The announcement comes at a time where the state is seeing an uptick in reported cases, while Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't held a news conference since the day after the 2020 election.
"We will have a full parental choice in the first emergency order and in our subsequent emergency order. The governor will take nothing less than full parental choice," Corcoran said, stressing this fact has been made clear by both DeSantis and the board since the beginning.
Families will need to wait a little longer before a fresh executive order is complete because the Department of Education is still fine-tuning the document. Corcoran says he expects it to be finalized by Thanksgiving break or, at the latest, the end of the month.
Regardless of the timeline, the commissioner said the message for education in the Sunshine State is clear -- to deliver world-class education and do it safely.
The state's order for K-12 students has been a collaborative effort among school superintendents. He even highlighted Pinellas County and Superintendent Michael Grego for being a "fantastic resource" during the process.
"I think it's going to be a great product and be a continuation of moving toward keeping people safe," he said.
With a plan in place, there still remains the question of funding, a concern broached by the Florida Education Association.
“School districts need to know they’ll have the funds to operate without severe cuts. Parents who want their children to learn at home need to know that they’ll still have that option after Jan. 8 — in their own districts, with teachers they know and trust. Students need stability, not dislocation and disruption," FEA President Andrew Spar said.
Full funding was a topic that Corcoran did not directly confirm for remote students when asked by a reporter Wednesday, saying, "we're going through that right now and working with the districts."
The association is also pushing for online or "safe school" learning where reduced class size, social distancing and proper PPE are available.
Schools in Florida were required to implement their distance learning plans in March of this year when the U.S. was first rocked by the coronavirus. It was not until the fall semester that students were allowed to return to the classroom.
On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health reported 7,925 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state's total to 905,248 since tracking began in March.
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