WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Tuesday dialed up pressure on state and local authorities to reopen schools, even as coronavirus cases spike, accusing officials…
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Tuesday dialed up pressure on state and local authorities to reopen schools, even as coronavirus cases spike, accusing officials who keep them closed as being motivated by politics.
He said in-person education was essential for the well-being of students, parents and the country as a whole, and he vowed to keep up the pressure on governors to open buildings.
“We want to reopen the schools,” Trump said. “We don’t want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons. They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep schools closed. No way.”
The president did not mention that his own reelection prospects may depend on whether voters see the country as having recovered from the economic and social devastation of the novel coronavirus pandemic. It’s also unclear whether the schools push will be a political winner for Trump. Some parents are eager to return to normal, but many others, fearful of the virus, have told districts that they want to keep their children home this fall.
Virtually every K-12 school in the United States closed this spring in an effort to control infections, abruptly moving to online learning. The system worked reasonably well for some families in some school districts but was an outright failure in others. Colleges and universities also shut down, though their remote learning was generally seen as more successful.
Now schools at all levels are struggling to develop plans for the fall, with many planning a mix of in-person and online classes.
On Tuesday, Trump mentioned Harvard University, which said this week that all students will learn remotely, though 40% of students will be invited to live on campus.
“They ought to be ashamed of themselves, if you want to know the truth,” he said. “That’s called the easy way out.”
A Harvard spokeswoman declined to comment.
During an afternoon dialogue at the White House, federal, state and local officials made the case for in-person schooling, saying it was imperative for the education and social-emotional well-being of children, and critical for parents who need to go to work. They noted that schools provide children with meals, mental health counseling and socialization.
