Florida Schools and the Coronavirus Outbreak
FEA is collecting useful information, FAQs and links for educators, education staff professionals, and other school employees about the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Page updated April 24.
Important Links
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Florida Dept. of Education Coronavirus page, includes recursos en español (see below for FLDOE memos)
- Resources for a safe reopening of schools
- AFL-CIO Resources for Workers Impacted by COVID-19
- Flier on employee rights to expanded Paid Sick and Family Medical Leave as part of COVID-19 relief bill (U.S. Dept. of Labor; PDF, 172 K)
- Food resources for at-home students
- How to apply for SNAP (food stamps)
FLDOE memos
- May 13 Emergency Order extending educator certificates through December 31, 2020.
- March 31 memo, closing schools through May 1.
- March 24 memo (PDF, 755 K) to Superintendents setting goal of implementing distance learning by March 30.
- March 18 Q&A (PDF, 884 K), additional guidance and clarification regarding the Department’s guidance to school districts related to COVID-19 closures
- March 17 Guidance, closing all schools through April 15, 2020.
Additional Resources
- Resources for Educators (AFT)
- Schools and Coronavirus: What You Should Know (NEA)
- Weekly AFT Tele-Town Hall meetings (signup form)
COVID Q&As for Florida Educators
Read some common questions educators have about Florida’s students, schools and employees during the coronavirus pandemic. We will be updating this list when new information becomes available.
Distance Learning Resources for Educators and Parents
FEA has collected a number of resource for educators and parents to engage in education and distance learning while Florida’s schools are closed due to the COVID pandemic.
Guidance for Educators During Distance Learning
With most educators conducting distance learning FEA is reminding members of the recommended social media guidelines, never to text students, and how to safely and securely use Google Voice if instructed. (Note: you must be logged in to view these pages).
Q&As and Resources for Parents
With Florida’s schools closed until at least April 15, we’ve collected some common questions and resources for parents — including links for meals for students in need.
Legislative and Action Updates for COVID-19
This is a collection of information about the CARES Act (aka the federal COVID-19 relief legislation) and ways members can to take action to protect students, educators, healthcare professionals and working people.
Member Benefit Resources and Links
FEA members and their families enjoy a robust year-round program of member benefits. See what additional resources our benefit partners are providing to help members deal with the COVID pandemic — including info about Student Loan Forgiveness.
FEA Statewide Town Hall on COVID-19
FEA members, officers and the presidents of AFT and NEA (our national union affiliates) came together for a statewide virtual town hall meeting on COVID-19 and its impact on public education. Watch the town hall or read the transcript.
The AFL-CIO, the national federation of unions, representing 12.5 million working people has updated When the Paycheck Stops: An AFL-CIO Survival Guide to Unemployment (PDF, 3MB) to include information about COVID-19.