‘Itching to get back’: Gov. DeSantis says teachers want back in classrooms

On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to Fox and Friends to say teachers are “itching to get back” to the classroom.

The Governor was responding to questions about a lawsuit from the Florida Education Association, which seeks to stop schools reopening because their 130,000 members would be in danger.

The Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit Monday charging it would violate the state Constitution to reopen schools that are not “safe” and “secure.”

The suit, filed in Miami-Dade County, lists several defendants including, DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran,  and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez – all of whom are recognized in their official capacities in the lawsuit.

The Governor said he was “not sure” whether the “position” of the Florida Education Association was driven by “political” concerns, but added that teachers, the union “positions” notwithstanding, are “itching to get back” to the classroom.

“I know school children are at the least risk of coronavirus … and yet they’ve been asked to shoulder the burden,” DeSantis said, saying that the “evidence based decision would be that parents have the ability to have in-person instruction now.”

The Governor noted that “a lot of parents think their students will fall behind” if schools aren’t open as they were before the advent of the novel coronavirus.

DeSantis’ comments, made to a friendly news outlet, build on a speech he gave Wednesday evening, in which he stressed that parents have options if they don’t feel their children are safe, and that teachers could work remotely if they felt imperiled.

“If a school district needs to delay the school year for a few weeks so that everything will be in good shape, have at it,” DeSantis said. “The important thing is that our parents have a meaningful choice when it comes to in-person education.”

Earlier this month, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered schools to reopen in August. Since that order, the Governor has manufactured wiggle room.

The emergency order is creating confusion about whether schools can choose to stay closed, but school districts may close if their plan is approved by local health departments. In addition to teachers, the order has taken heat from within the state Board of Education.

At a recent meeting, Board member Michael Olenick criticized Corcoran for signing what was effectively an administrative order without input from the Board of Education.

“With all due respect, this order should’ve been brought to the state Board of Education before it went out,” Olenick said. “We should’ve had the opportunity to discuss this. We didn’t.”

While Corcoran and other Board members touted the flexibility afforded schools by the executive order, Olenick insisted that requiring the Department of Health’s approval to close a school district ran contrary to flexibility and that some local health departments would likely deny some school districts’ requests.