Activist group asks for more supplies from school board

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — Duval schools are seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases after an earlier record-breaking spike.

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Dr. Diana Greene, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, discussed the spike with the board.

“We are continuing to test our members that are symptomatic again and when we came back from break we had a huge spike.”

But an activist group called Duval Core met to tell the board that they want more.

“I want to see education, wanna see masks, and want to see teachers not needing to try to scramble to find substitutes because they got COVID,” a member of the group said.

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Grace Mae is an eighth grader in Duval and COVID-19 has had the kind of impact on her education only current students can understand.

“Eighth grade, it’s my first year of middle school. Terrified. Because everybody knows each other,” Mae said.

“I was wearing a mask and shield ... It’s hard making friends when you’re completely covered,” she continued.

Mae joined several speakers inside and outside the building asking for supplies.

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Mae was joined by Monique Sampson, a Duval County teacher who is also pregnant.

“Unfortunately, I contracted COVID two weeks ago as a result of one of my students giving it to me.”

“The current mitigation measures that are currently in place are simply not working,” Sampson said.

“Teachers need Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, I don’t care if it’s stupid, sticky stuff that no one wants! At least it’s available,” Sampson said.

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The group did not ask for masks to be mandatory, but for the district to provide them to teachers and students if they need them.

“Accessible masks for parents who want their kids to wear them,” a member of the group said.

The superintendent made it clear, though, that policies would likely stay in place.

“All employees to continue to wear facial coverings, strongly encouraging students but it is a parent’s decision on whether a student is going to wear a mask,” Dr. Greene said.

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