MELBOURNE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran held a news conference on Thursday to detail proposed plans for reopening schools in the fall.
"We want schools fully open in the fall because there is no better way to educate our kids than have that great teacher in front of that child," Corcoran said.
As part of the plan, DeSantis said $64 million will go to schools to help close the achievement gap related to school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. $24 million will be to adopt B.E.S.T. reading and civics curriculum, $15 million will be spent to train and develop reading coaches for schools and $223 million will go towards early learning, the governor said.
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DeSantis and his team also released a 143-page guide to reopening schools in the state and allocating funds from the federal CARES Act.
"In Florida, we're taking a smart, safe, step-by-step approach to re-opening, and this extensive data-driven plan will ensure Florida students, educators, and families have the confidence and support needed to get students back to the classroom, which will in turn allow parents back into the workforce and allow Florida to hits its economic stride," DeSantis said in a release.
The guide is broken up into four parts, laying out the state's plan to safely reopen schools, address achievement gaps in students and how the governor aims to use CARES Act funds for education:
- Part 1: Impacts on Achievement Gaps
- Part 2: Guidance for Reopening Healthy Learning Environments, Responding to a Confirmed Case and K-12 Instructional Continuity
- Part 3: The CARE Act, Summary of Governor's Recommendations
- Part 4: CARES - Safety Net Funds in Reserve
Along with the guide, the governor's office also released recommendations for reopening schools, which includes approaches for K-12 campuses and colleges and universities.
K-12 steps:
- Step 1: June - open up campuses for youth activities and summer camps
- Step 2: July - expand campus capacities further for summer recovery instruction
- Step 3: August - open up campuses at full capacity for the traditional start of the academic year
Postsecondary education steps:
- Summer A and C semesters: State colleges, technical colleges and universities are generally virtual with the exception of first responder and some CTE programs
- Sumer B semester: Open state colleges and technical colleges for in-person summer learning. State universities continue to remain virtual as they have already decided for Summer B
- Fall semester: Open state colleges, technical colleges and universities at full capacity for the traditional start of the academic year
For more information about the Florida Department of Education's response to the coronavirus, head here.
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