Gov. Desantis, Ed. Commissioner Corcoran, Announce Millions To Help Reopen Fla. Public Schools

From the Florida Phoenix:

By Danielle J. Brown

After weeks of little to vague guidance from the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced millions of federal dollars to fortify and reopen public schools that have been closed for months.

“The message should be loud and clear,” Corcoran said. “What we are saying, with a strong recommendation to our great superintendents that we work with—we want schools fully open in the fall, because there’s no better way to educate our kids than to have that great teacher in front of that child.”

Corcoran referenced the challenges faced by families to finish school at home online for several months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis outlined a list of initiatives to bolster student learning, from improving student literacy and closing the gap in academic performance between white and minority students, to launching summer programs for kids deficient in reading and allowing certain students to take college entrance exams— the ACT or SAT— free of charge.

While the statewide package of initiatives will be a relief for school districts, many details to reopen schools will be decided at a local level. And the next few months will be challenging.

More to come…

This story was originally published by the Florida Phoenix. For more stories from the Florida Phoenix, visit FloridaPhoenix.com.