The State of Florida announced it is offering $2 millionprofessional liability insurance coverage to educators andinstructional staff (including teachers, learning resourcespecialists, education paraprofessionals and school librarians),reports the Tallahassee Democrat.

According to Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, thestate-backed coverage will offer personnel protection from loss ofincome and "peace of mind" for incidents that happen at theworkplace. The coverage will be provided through Gallagher &Co.

A similar coverage was introduced by the Florida legislature in2001, but was stopped after a few years. The Florida EducatorsProfessional Liability Insurance program was offered to teachersand instructional staff for free.

The coverage ceased in 2006 following a review by the Office ofProgram Policy Analysis & Government Accountability thatdetermined the program was not cost-effective, says theTallahassee Democrat. Florida spent nearly $4.4 million inpremiums, but only paid three claims totaling $50,375.

The new coverage has $834,375 allocated in the 2015-2016 statebudget for a one-year premium. Critics of the move says theinsurance unnecessarily steers dollars away from classrooms, saysthe Tallahassee Democrat.

Other critics of the coverage claim the move is an attack onteachers' unions, as liability insurance is one of the manyservices offered by the organizations.

Read more from the TallahasseeDemocrat.