2020-08-31 23:47:09
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Your son’s school is opening?
They’re doing a hybrid model, they’re giving parents the option. They had a meeting last night, and people are very nervous. They said that parents can change over time as they become more comfortable.
I just need more information before I put my child in that situation. As a member of the House, I have colleagues who refuse to follow the C.D.C. guidance, and they’re adults. To expect that children will follow these guidelines when we see that adults refuse to?
You’ve said a national strategy needs to be in place before it is safe to have schools reopen.
If we had a national strategy where it was understood that wearing a mask was a best practice and if you needed to be tested you could be tested and there was contact tracing, we could pinpoint these outbreaks or these hot spots. There is very little confidence because we keep seeing the guidelines change, different districts are handling it differently, different communities are handling it differently. In some places around the country, even though it’s a hot spot, you see leaders insist that schools open and kids go back.
That does not instill confidence. If you’re telling people, “We’re doing what’s best for you and were following the guidelines,” and they say, “Yeah, but I’m watching the news every night and I see the spikes and I see that we don’t have the federal funding,” and the answer is, “We’re still going back,” that is deeply concerning to me.
Do you think it’s possible to safely reopen schools while Donald Trump is the president?
I hope so. We all want our kids back in school, and it’s unfortunate that this has been politicized because this should be something we can all agree on.
Schools Reopening ›
Back to School
Updated Aug. 31, 2020
The latest on how schools are reopening amid the pandemic.
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- Cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus have increased at a faster rate in children and teenagers than among the general public, data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics from the summer show.
- Universities that are trying to reopen with in-person classes are pioneering Covid tests and tracking apps that could help society combat the pandemic.
- Privately owned bus companies, which carry nearly 10 million children to school a year, are facing an unparalleled threat to their survival.
- Resident advisers in college dorms have been drafted to enforce mask wearing and social distancing rules, and to report on fellow students who violate those rules.
I would support the president in any measure to safely reopen schools. What I cannot support is this idea that absent the science, absent the data, absent all of the consultation of the experts in this field, we are reopening schools because this is meant to hurt a political campaign. I can’t support that.