Miami superintendent: Return to school this year is ‘not only unlikely but imprudent’
The goalposts for when schools should shift from online classes back to in-person, brick-and-mortar learning have been moving almost weekly since all Florida schools shuttered March 13.
The recess was supposed to be for two weeks. Then until April 15. Superintendents began publicly doubting the Florida Department of Education’s current timeline to return to schools May 1. And now they’re nearly condemning Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent comments about having students return to schools for a few weeks if the conditions are right.
On Wednesday, Miami Superintendent Alberto Carvalho took a clear stance, tweeting that reopening schools this school year is “not only unlikely but imprudent.”
“This year’s last day of school for students is June 3rd,” he tweeted. “High school graduations begin on May 26th. Bottomline, there are between 26 and 33 days of schooling left this school year. A physical return to schools this year is not only unlikely but imprudent.”
Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie was among the first school officials to openly doubt the imminent return to school. He told families in a video message April 3 to expect to stay online for the rest of the school year.
“We recognize that the pandemic will continue to grow and anticipate more challenging conditions emerging over the next several weeks,” he said. “Consequently, it is reasonable for all of us to plan for continuing distance learning through the end of the school year.”
Teachers union agrees
The Miami-Dade teachers union, United Teachers of Dade, on Friday condemned the state’s flirting with reopening schools. President Karla Hernandez-Mats took issue with DeSantis’ premise that COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, doesn’t affect young people as much. Adults, she pointed out, work at schools, too.
“For the sake of public safety and in the name of everything that is logical, we shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of opening our schools or any other public place that could further propagate this virus and jeopardize our health,” Hernandez-Mats said in a statement. “They should remain closed until the safety of our community is secured. Missing prom or other school events is not more important than staying healthy.”
The statewide teachers union, Florida Education Association, took the same stance Tuesday. In a letter to DeSantis, President Fedrick Ingram of Miami requested that campuses stay closed for the remainder of the school year.
“The potential damage that could be done to families and entire communities from an outbreak of COVID-19 at even one school far outweighs the inconvenience of continuing distance learning for the rest of the school year,” Ingram wrote.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 2:53 PM.