Scott Pens Letter to DeVos Over COVID-19 Education Concerns

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the sunshine state, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) directed a letter today to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wherein he requests additional information regarding available resources for schools to help students remain safe and continue their education during this time of crisis.

In the letter, Senator Scott writes that he is “extremely concerned about the outbreak of the Coronavirus and the effect it is having on our nation, including our schools.”

He expressed that “our hearts break for the families of the individuals lost to this horrible sickness, and we must do everything we can to stop the spread of the Coronavirus and save lives.”

Since the state of Florida has already announced that schools will continue to operate remotely, the former Florida Governor detailed that “while Florida has temporarily closed schools, there is a potential that schools may be closed for a longer period of time – requiring distance learning.”

And, the lawmaker, who’s currently self-quarantining, posed three questions to the Secretary of Education.

He asked, “what resources are available to schools to detect and respond to cases of Coronavirus within the school? Does the Department provide guidance or best practices to schools regarding how to effectively perform online class at various grade levels? What steps should states be taking to more seamlessly transition to online education?”

Secretary DeVos has not yet responded as the state of Florida continues to combat the growing threat of the Coronavirus.