Education Secretary Betsy DeVos indicated she is eyeing withholding federal funding from public schools that do no fully reopen for in-person instruction this fall.
“Like the president said today, there is no excuse for schools not to reopen again and for kids to be able to learn again full-time,” DeVos said Tuesday on Fox News. “The data doesn’t suggest anything different. The medical experts aren’t suggesting anything different … this is more an issue of adults who are more interested in their own issues than they are about serving their students. It’s very clear that kids have got to go back to school.”
“We are looking at this very seriously,” DeVos said about the possibility of withholding federal funding from schools that do not reopen. “This is a very serious issue across the country. Kids have got to continue learning. Schools have got to open up.”
In a tweet Wednesday morning, President Trump echoed DeVos’s position, demanding public schools brainstorm a way to allow students to attend in-person classes full-time safely.
“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS,” Trump said. “The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
In a separate post, Trump said he disagrees with the nine-page Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for reopening schools.
The CDC guidelines call for districts to follow state and local coronavirus lockdown orders, educate students about hand washing and cleanliness, and implement social distancing or staggered attendance.
Trump called the CDC plan “tough and expensive.”
Late last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidance with the goal of aiding schools and local governments on determining how best to reopen.
“The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020,” the organization wrote. “Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation.”
Critics, however, say the Trump administration’s call for a full return to in-person instruction needlessly puts children at risk for contracting the virus and spreading it to more vulnerable populations.
now he wants to kill your kids https://t.co/6VvGsIQv4d
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) July 8, 2020
President Trump is now openly taking on the CDC and criticizing the agency’s guidelines for opening schools.
Incredible. https://t.co/SkjRiCzx4h
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 8, 2020
The risk of schools not opening in fall is fearful. Students will carry the scar for years, marginal students may lose their educations altogether. The burden on parents is crushing.
But Trump’s “let the kids face the risk” is no answer. Schools are closed because he failed
— David Frum (@davidfrum) July 8, 2020
On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who oversees one of the nation’s largest public school districts, announced schools there would not fully reopen in September.
“Everyone is looking to the public school system to indicate the bigger direction of New York City,” de Blasio said.
The mayor of New York City and other similar cities are drumming up fear of the public health crisis, DeVos said.
“There has got to be a concerted effort to address the needs of all kids, and adults who are fear mongering and making excuses simply have got to stop doing it and turn their attention on what is right for students and for their families,” DeVos said.
