Florida teacher: Yearbooks shouldn't need memorial pages for COVID deaths

Dave Galloway, a sixth-grade science teacher and military veteran in Florida, said that he fears for the health of himself, other teachers, and students if schools in his state reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No yearbook this year should include a memorial page for those that passed from COVID,” he told CNN on Thursday.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered schools in the state to reopen and has frequently defended his position.

The state reported 10,181 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 112 deaths. The surge in infections pushed Florida’s total cases to 301,810.

“Florida broke its one-day record for coronavirus deaths Tuesday with another 132 fatalities reported as the state sees a skyrocketing fatality rate that’s near the highest in the nation,” the Orlando Sentinel reported.

From the July 16 edition of CNN’s “New Day”:

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN: You point out that you are a veteran, you do not scare easily.

 

DAVE GALLOWAY: Yes, ma’am.

 

CAMEROTA: But you say that you feel like they’re forcing you to go back in the trenches?

 

GALLOWAY: Literally and figuratively. I mean, I’m a former U.S. Army paratrooper. I spent 12 years in the infantry. I’m not hardwired for stress. I’m able to absorb what’s going on and make a good point of action, if you will. And they are putting an assumed level of risk on teachers that – and students, and our most vulnerable students – that quite frankly, I find untenable.

 

No school year, I’m sorry, no yearbook this year should include a memorial page for those that passed from COVID this year. And that’s what we’re looking at.

 

Martin mentioned earlier, part of my prep this year is I’m looking at setting up a will? It’s just – it’s mind-boggling.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.