JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Jacksonville educators held a rally Monday, hosted by two groups of educators: “Duval for a Safe Return to Campus” and the “Duval Schools Pandemic Solutions Team,” advocating for the safe reopening of schools.
Event organizers say the stationary rally, held in cars, is to let Duval County Schools, the Florida Department of Education, Governor Ron DeSantis, and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran know that "we will not return to our school campuses until it is safe."
Speakers include community activists from various groups including Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Women’s March, students, parents and community leaders.
The organizers of the rally say they are demanding the following:
- Controlled community transmission: At least 14 days of zero reported new local community cases
- Immediate reinstatement of Phase 1 by Mayor Curry until 14 consecutive days of declining cases with City
- Council Ordinance to put fines on failure to comply with city mask mandate
- Rigorous testing and tracing: Widespread, accessible, and frequent screening, testing, tracing, and isolation of
- new cases
- Masks added to the DCPS Student Code of Conduct as part of the dress code violation for non-compliance
- Immediate school shutdown for positive tests; students not permitted to return without proof of negative test
- Thorough protection and prevention: Rigorous cleaning and disinfection, proper ventilation, effective PPE provided for all students and staff, and remote work and learning for the most vulnerable students and staff
- Consistent social distancing: Student and staff schedules are designed to ensure small, stable groups with at least
- Duval Homeroom online for the first nine weeks for ALL K-12 students and teachers
The event took place starting at 1 p.m. at 735 East Bay Street, which is the parking lot across from the Maxwell House.
