The current mandate by the state of Florida to send our teachers back to the classroom in one month, puts our front-line educators in the position of having to choose between health and livelihood. 

Teachers in need of health insurance, as many teachers are medically vulnerable or have family that are (i.e. having parents and/or children with compromised immune system) - must weigh the risk of returning to work during a time of increased FL cases of COVID-19.

Florida’s Governor DeSantis refuses to mandate the wearing of masks (proper PPE) statewide, yet is totally comfortable sending teachers back to school, potentially in harms way.  On the one hand, we praise teachers as dedicated front-line workers, yet this mandate demonstrates that their health is not a priority. No one knows how long this pandemic will last. The fact that teachers have been given no say in this mandate to return to work in 30 days, shows a complete and total lack of respect and care for them as Florida citizens.

These are financially uncertain times and teachers are not being given much of a choice or a plan.  We expect our government to care and make sound decisions that affect us.  Unfortunately, our political and educational leaders are failing miserably. 

Coming from a family of a long and celebrated history in Florida’s educational system, I feel compelled to speak up for a profession that is being silenced and put in harms way.  We are living during the time of the deadly pandemic COVID- 19.  Every decision by our leaders can be either life saving or life endangering.  When our leaders put politics above our best interest, we are faced with the latter.