As Florida's governor and the White House trade jabs, the nation's top educator says he's "deeply concerned" about the state's COVID-19 policies regarding schools.
What You Need To Know
- U.S. Education Sec. Miguel Cardona expressed concerns about Florida's handling of COVID-19 in schools
- He took issue with the state prohibiting mask mandates in schools and threatening to withhold pay for school leaders who disobey
- Related Coverage
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent an open letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, taking issue with DeSantis' executive order blocking school districts from enforcing mask mandates.
"Florida's recent actions to block school districts from voluntarily adopting science-based strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19 that are aligned with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts students and staff at risk." Cardona wrote. "I am writing on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to emphasize the importance of allowing school district leaders to make decisions that ensure safety for their students."
In addition to the mask issue, Cardona expressed concern about Florida threatening to withhold the salary of any district superintendent or school board member who defies DeSantis' order.
"The Department stands with these dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction," Cardona wrote.
Cardona pointed to more than $7 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan that could be used to pay "the full salaries of educators (including superintendents) and school board members, regardless of whether the State moves to withhold some of their salary as Florida is threatening."
According to Cardona, Florida was supposed to allocate the funds to local school districts by May 24, but none of the money has been dispersed.
"The Department will continue to closely review and monitor whether Florida is meeting all of its Federal fiscal requirements," Cardona wrote. "It's critical that we do everything in our power to provide a safe environment for our students and staff to thrive."
Spectrum News reached out to DeSantis' office for a response to Cardona's letter but has not received one.
You can read the entire letter here:
Letter From Secretary Cardona by Dale Greenstein on Scribd
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