The Mask ‘Revolt’ In Florida Schools

By Jessica Bakeman,

Daniel Rivero

Published September 3, 2021 at 11:33 AM EDT

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Police stand near the entrance to the Miami-Dade School Board as protesters gathered outside the building Wednesday to argue for and against a mask mandate in the school district's upcoming academic year

To mask or not to mask in Florida's public schools? Who gets to decide that is shaping up to be the biggest political battle in Florida this year. It's also the latest fight between state leaders and local school officials.

The battle between school districts and state leaders over mask mandates is just the latest in a longstanding power struggle between Tallahassee and local school boards. We discuss some previous fights — during the pandemic and beyond — and the often tense dynamic between state lawmakers and school officials.

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Jessica Bakeman

Jessica Bakeman is Director of Enterprise Journalism at WLRN News, and she is the former senior news editor and education reporter. Her 2021 project "Class of COVID-19" won a national Edward R. Murrow Award.

See stories by Jessica Bakeman

Daniel Rivero

Daniel Rivero is part of WLRN's new investigative reporting team. Before joining WLRN, he was an investigative reporter and producer on the television series "The Naked Truth," and a digital reporter for Fusion. He can be reached at drivero@wlrnnews.org

See stories by Daniel Rivero