Florida's circular firing squad with schools in the middle.
Andrew Atterbury, education reporter for politic tweeted this.
Who can decide when Florida schools should close?
— Andrew Atterbury (@ALAtterbury) July 23, 2020
“I do not have the authority as health officer to advise you to close schools or when to re-open,” Claudia Blackburn, Florida Department of Health in Leon County's Health Officer, said today during a task force meeting. pic.twitter.com/RNcv3VMPd4
Um, what? This may explain why Health Departments throughout the state haven't been very helpful.
From Florida Today,
When the order for all brick-and-mortar schools to open in August came down from Tallahassee on July 6, the state apparently gave worried school districts an out. Reopenings were "subject to advice and orders" of state health officials and "local departments of health," the document said.
When the order for all brick-and-mortar schools to open in August came down from Tallahassee on July 6, the state apparently gave worried school districts an out. Reopenings were "subject to advice and orders" of state health officials and "local departments of health," the document said.
It also said: "Absent these directives, the day-to-day decision to open or close a school must always rest locally with the board or executive most closely associated with a school."
The wording led school boards in at least three counties to believe they needed to seek advice on the safety of opening from their local health officials, many of whom served on local reopening task forces and worked closely with district leaders to craft their plans.
At least one county health leader apparently thought so, too. Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, on July 6 told the Palm Beach school district's health advisory committee the situation there was too dangerous to reopen schools. Based on her guidance, the committee — and later, the Palm Beach School Board — agreed to keep campuses closed.
But days later, Alonso refused to put her recommendation in writing, the Palm Beach Post reported.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orange County School Board on Tuesday vented at local CONTINUE READING: Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters: Florida's circular firing squad with schools in the middle.
