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News Education secretary faces backlash after demanding schools reopen full-time amid pandemic (1 Viewer)

Ahsoka

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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos faced backlash Monday for demanding that schools reopen for full-time in-person instruction in the fall -- even in places where the virus is surging in the American South and West and without offering a specific plan on how to do so safely -- and doubling down on a threat to cut funding to schools that don't.

"American investment in education is a promise to students and their families. If schools aren't going to reopen and not fulfill that promise, they shouldn't get the funds, and give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise," DeVos told "Fox News Sunday."

"There's going to be the exception to the rule, but the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall," DeVos said Sunday, using language similar to the president. "And where there are little flare-ups or hot spots, that can be dealt with on a school by school or a case by case basis."

DeVos didn't say under which authority she and Trump would have to cut off school budgets.

While the administration threatens to slash funding, the School Superintendents Association has estimated necessary protective measures to keep schools safe this fall would cost an average of about $1.8 million per school district. There are roughly 13,598 regular school districts in the U.S.

Asked about the DeVos demand that schools reopen five days a week, Monday, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told ABC's "Good Morning America" he has "no idea" whether kids will go back to school in a matter of weeks as cases in the state surge.

"Our superintendent is the one that runs our school systems and he has indicated that he's not going to put our children at risk," he said. "The education commissioner of the state of Florida has mandated schools be open but I'm not sure our superintendent is in agreement with that and certainly, you know, not if it poses a risk to our children or to the parent or those teaching."

Suarez, a Republican, said he hasn't ruled a stay-at-home order out. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, a Trump ally, said last week: "If you can do Walmart," then "we absolutely can do the schools."

Trying to smooth over the conflict with Florida and with other state and local officials, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed in an interview Monday on "Fox & Friends" that "We leave it to localities as to exactly what guidelines work, because guidelines in a state like North Dakota need to look different than a locality like Miami.

In California, where cases are on the rise, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District announced Monday LA public school students won't have in-person classes when the school year starts in August.

"The health and safety of all in the school community is not something we can compromise," said Austin Beutner in a statement. "Children need to be in school to get the best possible education. The right way to reopen schools is to make sure there is a robust system of testing and contact tracing to mitigate the risk for all in the school community."

Responding to DeVos' comments Sunday, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, tweeted that Trump and DeVos are not putting the safety of children and teachers first and criticized their lack of planning and resources offered as some schools are set to open in a month or even before.

"Their goal isn't safety, it's politics," she tweeted. "It's what they think is good for @realDonaldTrump, not what's good for the country."
Weingarten also tweeted out a report from the Kaiser Institute published Friday found that one in four teachers have a condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus.economic

The president's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, on Monday doubled down on saying it's "not that hard" to return to school amid the pandemic.

"It's not to say they are burdens, and can't we put the best minds together and can't we figure out masking?" he said in an interview with Fox News. "This is not so difficult."

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., also took to Twitter to criticize DeVos, who has no experience as an educator, for having "no plan."

"I wouldn't trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child," she wrote.

Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., a former national teacher of the year, told NBC she hopes DeVos defers to "the people who know best," as she said the education secretary is "not advocating for students and teachers, she is not holding her title and her responsibility to speak on behalf of millions of teachers and students that she's responsible for."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines for reopening amid coronavirus concerns, advising schools to keep desks placed six feet apart, to close communal areas like cafeterias and playgrounds and to have children use face coverings and schools -- but they've come under fire from President Trump.

On Wednesday he criticized them as "very tough" and "expensive." He tweeted Twitter Friday that "schools must be open in the Fall," arguing that virtual learning is "TERRIBLE" compared to in-person.


Falling in line, even CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, after the president's criticisms, told ABC's "Good Morning America" the CDC will release "additional information to help the schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward."

"The president said today we just don't want the guidance to be too tough," Vice President Mike Pence said during a coronavirus task force briefing Wednesday. "That's the reason why, next week, CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools, five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward."

In the same briefing White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx acknowledged "the lowest tested portion [of the population] is the under 10-year-olds."

Though the Trump administration is downplaying the risks of sending children back to school, internal CDC documents obtained by the New York Times warn that fully reopening schools and universities would create the "highest risk" of spreading the coronavirus.

And the American Academy of Pediatrics, whose guidance the Trump administration has cited to support its demands, made clear Friday that while in-person school provides crucial benefits to children, "Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics."

The AAP statement aimed at Trump and DeVos joined with three other groups -- the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers union in the country; the National Education Association, the largest union in the country; and AASA, the School Superintendents Association -- and said any threat to cut funding was "a misguided approach."

"Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics," the statement said. "We call on Congress and the administration to provide the federal resources needed to ensure that inadequate funding does not stand in the way of safely educating and caring for children in our schools."

The Trump administration had repeatedly cited an AAP statement from last month saying the organization "strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school."

The AAP guidance also came up at a White House school-opening roundtable on July 7 led by President Trump. Pence highlighted the presence of AAP president Dr. Sally Goza.

"But as the American Academy of Pediatrics, so well represented here today, recently reflected, there are -- there are social costs, emotional costs, and even physical costs to our children across this country that we spoke with the governors today," Pence said.

Goza, speaking before Trump and Pence, emphasized in her remarks, "returning to school must be done safely."

"Reopening schools in a way that maximizes safety, learning, and the well-being of children will clearly require new investments in our schools. We urge you to ensure that schools receive the resources necessary so that funding does not stand in the way of keeping our children safe or present at school," she said, a month before Trump fired off new threats to cut funds.

The push to reopen schools comes as new coronavirus cases are spiking in the U.S. Sun Belt. Florida on Sunday reported more than 15,000 new cases, making it one of the world's biggest hot spots and setting an all-time record for any state.

District leaders and school boards across the country are grappling with the decision to reopen as politics invades the debate.

McEnany also accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of "messing with our children," after Pelosi told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, when asked to react to the DeVos comments, that "The president and his administration are messing with the health of our children."

"I think what we heard from the secretary was malfeasance and dereliction of duty. This is appalling. They're messing, they're messing -- the president and his administration are messing with the health of our children," Pelosi said. "If there are CDC guidelines, they should be requirements."

Testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir played down the risks to children on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, pointing to other countries that have not seen the case counts the U.S. has experienced.

"We know from other countries, particularly young children do not seem to spread the virus. We know they don't get sick," he said, though he emphasized getting the virus "under control" is the top priority, "then we can think about how we put children back in the classroom."

Department of HHS Assistant Secretary Admiral Brett Giroir, testifies before a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on "The Administrations Efforts to Procure, Stockpile, and Distribute Critical Supplies," in Washington, July 2, 2020.Caroline Brehman/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
While DeVos has not offered a plan of her own, she has criticized other "hybrid plans" some schools have announced plans to bring students back for only a few days a week.

During a call with governors last week, DeVos slammed plans by Virginia's Fairfax County Public Schools to have families make the choice between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school.

"A choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all," DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press. "Ultimately, it's not a matter of if schools need to open, it's a matter of how. Schools must reopen, they must be fully operational. And how that happens is best left to education and community leaders."

 

Suzy

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This and that aside, I was going through Trump's tweets and he really writes like a 15 year old keyboard warrior lol.

Also, I agree that online education isn't as effective as on campus and I'm not surprised that so many people are having trouble with it but they can't really expect people to return to classes in the middle of a huge pandemic that is affecting the entire country. Doesn't the US have the record for the highest single day cases? And unlike almost every other country where the numbers are actually decreasing, their numbers are only increasing but instead of trying to stop it they're just trying to expose everyone to it even more? I really wonder what goes on in their heads. Someone said that with the way the US is going, the pandemic will end with 2M deaths in the country alone and I'm starting to think they might not be wrong after all.
 

Ahsoka

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This and that aside, I was going through Trump's tweets and he really writes like a 15 year old keyboard warrior lol.

Also, I agree that online education isn't as effective as on campus and I'm not surprised that so many people are having trouble with it but they can't really expect people to return to classes in the middle of a huge pandemic that is affecting the entire country. Doesn't the US have the record for the highest single day cases? And unlike almost every other country where the numbers are actually decreasing, their numbers are only increasing but instead of trying to stop it they're just trying to expose everyone to it even more? I really wonder what goes on in their heads. Someone said that with the way the US is going, the pandemic will end with 2M deaths in the country alone and I'm starting to think they might not be wrong after all.
Heres a graph I've seen about cases in the US vs other countries. I haven't checked the source but it matches some of what I d know, such as the fact that Florida in one day had 15000 new cases.
 

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The US is drowning in coronavirus cases and seems like the people in charge are content with keeping it that way.
 

jasque

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I think they forgot to tell the teachers and students that there was a competition between both methods going on.
 
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Thing is here in the US we are now seeing a change in the age group and kids are not completely safe. IT's supposively rare for a kid to get covid butI can't help but to think of the stories of a few emergency care workers who kids ended up suddenly dying of covid. There is also a devastating inflammatory disease which can be triggered after COVID (symptoms or not). There has also been asymptomatic kids which infected families.

Thing is the risk isn't zero, and for those cases of kids COVID is devastating. I know right now someones young school aged son who has COVID.

I think the US focuses to much on how the virus effects a population that is cautious rather then a population that takes little to no caution.
 
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Why is it always the US?
 
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launch Devos into space 2020

In all seriousness though this puts so many people's health at risk. Like even if kids don't get sick as bad they can be superspreaders and they put teachers and school staff health risk, then there's their family and everyone they come in contact with.
 
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Why is it always the US?
Because hiding under the skirts of "freedom" and "rights" people don't give a flying sht. US was doing good but then people felt their freedoms and rights where bing violated because they couldn't get their fcking hair cut or eat out at a restaurant. Basically US is full of selfish pricks. We've had people beaten up and even killed for soley telling people to wear a face mask. Just looked how packed the beaches and parks are despite rises and that was even before stay at home was lifted the first time.

So yeah, why is it the US because of freedom and rights.

Even though last time I checked it was a freedom and a right of another person not to contract something and die because someone else was a moron and didn't listen.

(SorryI'm a bit cranky COVID is making it's rounds around work and it stems from a dumbass who went to a bar when they first opened, and then came to work for a week with symptoms)
 
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SorryI'm a bit cranky COVID is making it's rounds around work and it stems from a dumbass who went to a bar when they first opened, and then came to work for a week with symptoms)
No it's ok. I understand.
Damn that person needs to be sued or something.
 
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No it's ok. I understand.
Damn that person needs to be sued or something.
No whats sue worthy is our client company hasn't told our customers. And this was just before July 4th weekend. And you know what, it's probably what schools will do as well. Not bloody say anything because no one really is required to say sht.
 

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Betsy only got the job because her family made a $20 million donation to the Trump campaign and it shows.
"If you can do Walmart," then "we absolutely can do the schools."
I hate this fucking country sometimes, I really do

I'm torn. I really am.
It's not safe for kids to be at school. That isn't up for debate. But there are a lot of drawbacks to kids staying home that need to be addressed. Kids in abusive household no longer have a guaranteed safe space or anyone to check on them and their situations are more than likely worsening because it. Some kids living below the poverty line relied heavily on breakfast and lunches, their parents can't afford daycare and it's hard to get/keep your job with a kid at home 24/7. Special needs and IEP kids need to be in school right now. I can guarantee most of their parents are unable to teach them effectively. My family is having a really hard time teaching my brother and it scares me because he's showing signs of regression and it's probably going to take us a lot longer to integrate him into conventional classes because he isn't getting the interaction he needs. Not to mention at risk youth.

What do we do for those poor kids?🥺😥

But it isn't safe, we won't put the work in to make it safe and I hate it because this was so avoidable
 
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Just got a message from my brother who rarely if ever talks to me. My 4yo nephew might have COVID, and we're saying openschools.
 
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Oh my god I hope he's okay :umjicry:
The kids already almost died so many time in his early life I'm confident he'll be fine, but dang what a thing a little one has to go through. He got exposed at his theorpy sessioins (he's autistic) I guess the don't wear face masks when dealing with kids.

Wisconsin for you.
 

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