School employees union says push to reopen schools is rushed

Red sign warning of coronavirus on a background of yellow school bus parking lot. Concept for closing schools or universities for quarantine because of covid-19 epidemic or pandemic outbreak
Union demands responsible plan for reopening schools.

The head of a union that represents thousands of school employees said Monday that Florida’s push to reopen schools in August is rushed and “putting lives in danger.”

AFSCME Florida President Vicki Hall said in a statement the state lacks a comprehensive plan to ensure students and employees will be safe when they return to school campuses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran last week issued an order requiring school districts to come up with individual reopening plans by the end of the month. The order also said districts must offer students the option to return to in-person instruction at school five days a week.

Hall said thousands of janitors, bus drivers, food service workers and other school workers, represented by AFSCME, are concerned about coming back to work as Florida emerges as the nation’s “epicenter” of coronavirus cases.

“As one of the last states to impose stay at home orders and one of the first to reopen, we are now paying the price for hasty decisions on public health. Florida is currently setting new records of coronavirus cases and deaths almost every day,” Hall said. “We cannot afford to make the same mistakes again that put the health and safety of our children and those that care for them at risk.”

Hall urged Gov. Ron DeSantis and Corcoran to come up with a “responsible plan” that will minimize the risk of spreading the virus at schools. “That plan currently does not exist. We must do better,” Hall said.

Wire Services


3 comments

  • Anes11

    July 13, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    For Pete’s sake. Children are super low risk. They don’t need muzzled, isolated, or distanced. They want to brainwash and condition them like robots. Let them be kids.

  • J. J. of Jax

    July 14, 2020 at 7:13 am

    Can the government send me a pay check while I sit at home working so hard at my computer doing virtual school?

  • Sonja Fitch

    July 14, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Children May be a symptomatic but the adults are susceptible and do become infected! Community spread by the children will be one of the risks! Get a grip stupid. It takes a village to raise a child!

Comments are closed.


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