Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order banning mask mandates in schools, leaving the decision up to parents whether their children wear masks in school.
Meanwhile, Florida reported 134,506 new Covid-19 cases over the past week, more than any other seven-day period during the pandemic (CNN).
The average number of new daily cases over the past two weeks is 107% higher than the prior two-week period, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (CNN).
On Sunday, the state reported 13,596 new Covid-19 cases among children younger than 12 years old, according to data from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) (CNN).
There were 10,585 new cases for that age group reported the previous week, ending July 29, DOH data shows (CNN).
Florida has approved an emergency rule “that will allow private school vouchers if parents feel their children are being harassed by a school district’s COVID-19 safety policies, including mask requirements” (In the Public Interest).
A group of parents and their children with disabilities filed suit against the state of Florida Friday claiming Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The federal lawsuit includes 27 parents and children who claim DeSantis “does not have the authority to threaten school districts with loss of funding if they protect their students with disabilities health and rights to be in an integrated learning environment. (clickorlando.com).
In a statement on Monday, the governor said the state board of education “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members” if they issue rules requiring children to wear face masks. Teachers and other school staff will not be affected (bbcnews.com).
In response to President Biden’s comment that DeSantis’ decisions on Covid have not been “good for their constituents.” (Washington Post), the governor responded, “Why don’t you get this border secure? … Until you do that, I don’t want to hear a blip about Covid from you.” The Washington Post Fact Checker found no evidence to support DeSantis’s claim that Biden’s immigration policies are to blame for the surge.
DeSantis’ executive order says school mask guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “lacks a well-grounded scientific justification” and the decision should be based on parents’ rights to make the health care decisions for their children who are students (CNN).
Alberto Carvalho, superintendent for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, responded in a written statement: “We have established a process that requires consultation with experts in the areas of public health and medicine. We will follow this process, which has served us well, and then make a final decision.” He added, “At no point shall I allow my decision to be influenced by a threat to my paycheck; a small price to pay considering the gravity of this issue and the potential impact to the health and well-being of our students and dedicated employees” (Miami CBS).
Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is also a physician, said.“When it comes to local conditions, if my hospital is full and my vaccination rate is low and infection rate is going crazy, we should allow local officials to make those decisions best for their community (CNN).
Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the coronavirus doesn’t care about politics or rhetoric. “What the virus does is it preys on any divisions in society,” he told CNN. “And it is extremely disappointing to see governors around the country banning things that would save lives and keep our kids and teachers in school learning” (CNN).
Over the past week, the vaccination rate increased with more than 50,000 people in Florida getting vaccinated. This is the highest average daily rate since May 2020 (CNN).
Schools open next week.
These are my reflections for today.
8/12/21
Recent publication: William Frantz Public School: A Story of Race, Resistance, Resiliency, and Recovery in New Orleans Connie Schaffer, Meg White, and Martha Graham Viator. Peter Lang Publishing. Available on amazon.com
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Reflections in Education 