House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) on Wednesday blasted President Trump’s push for schools to fully reopen in the fall …
House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) on Wednesday blasted President Trump’s push for schools to fully reopen in the fall despite rising coronavirus cases in the U. S. as a dangerous move that could pose health risks to students and educators.
Vice President Pence said earlier Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will issue additional guidance next week on reopening schools after Trump criticized the agency’s current recommendations as “very tough and expensive.” Trump also threatened to withhold funding for schools that don’t fully reopen for in-person instruction.
Scott warned that issuing looser CDC guidelines for reopening public schools without providing additional funds for adequate facilities and supplies risked more outbreaks of COVID-19.
“Even before the pandemic, our nation’s public schools were chronically underfunded. Reopening schools now, without more investment, presents serious risks to the health and safety of our students and educators,” Scott said in a statement.
“What’s worse, the administration is now threatening to ignore health experts and issue their own ‘less restrictive’ guidelines, prioritizing politics over the health and safety of students, parents, and educators. This move is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous,” Scott said.
School districts across the country are wrestling with how to reopen for the next academic school year.
