Pasco Reporter

Connerton issued the following announcement on July 22.

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday laid out his case for giving parents the option of sending children back to the classrooms moments before President Donald Trump urged the nation's schools to reopen.

"As a parent of three I know that my fellow parents here in Florida want nothing more than to provide a bright future for their children," said DeSantis, whose children are not of school age. "This of course includes providing the best possible education for every child in our state."

The governor's remarks came after the 150,000-member Florida Education Association, which represents state teachers, filed a lawsuit against DeSantis and state education officials challenging the planned reopening of brick-and-mortar schools next month.

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie announced Wednesday his students in the state's second largest school district would be going back to school with "100 percent" online instruction.

"When schools open on Aug. 19, it will be 100 percent e-learning," Runcie said of Broward schools, which includes the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Parkland.

The Florida Education Association lawsuit claims Florida had a 31 percent positive test among children as of last week though DeSantis has insisted young children have a low risk of spreading the disease.

Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran earlier this month ordered all "brick-and-mortar schools" to reopen in August but also gave school districts flexibility to use what officials described as "innovative teaching methods" to educate children.

President Trump said he would like to see schools open 100 percent.

"When you look at the statistics I just read, having to do with children and safety, they're very impressive," Trump said. "They have very strong immune systems."

DeSantis said safety precautions have worked well throughout the pandemic for health care workers and grocery store employees.

"I'm confident the same can be done for our educators," he said.

The governor said the state never forced day care centers to close during the pandemic yet there was no evidence they accelerated the spread of the virus.

"Here's the hard truth," DeSantis said. "Our kids are at the least risk from this virus and much lower risk than they are from seasonal Influenza. Our kids also play the smallest role in transmission of the virus, yet it is our kids who have borne the harshest burden of the control measures instituted to protect against the virus."

DeSantis said distance learning was meant to be a stopgap measure at a time when little was known about the coronavirus.

"Florida did better than most states with distance learning, but lets be honest: It's a far cry from in-person instruction, and it placed a tremendous burden on our working parents," he said.

The governor said every parent should have a choice of sending their children to schools for in-person learning.

"The evidence that schools can be open in a safe way is overwhelming, yet I also understand the apprehension that some parents may feel, and I believe in empowering them with a choice," DeSantis said.

He said no parent should be required to send their children to schools if they are uncomfortable doing so and teachers who are uncomfortable should be given the option of working remotely.

"I know many teachers and faculty are chomping at the bit to get back in the classroom because they know how much their students depend on their instruction and on their tutelage," he said. "We support you, and want you to be safe."

Original source here.