Schools refusing to open in fall are being political, says Trump
President Donald Trump launched an all-out effort pressing state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, arguing that some are keeping schools closed not because of the risks from聽the coronavirus pandemic聽but for political reasons.
鈥淭hey think it鈥檚 going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed,鈥� Mr. Trump said Tuesday at a White House discussion on school plans for the fall. 鈥淣o way. We鈥檙e very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools.鈥�
The White House鈥檚 roundtable gathered health and education leaders from across the nation who said schools and colleges are ready to open this fall and can do so safely. They argued that the risks of keeping students at home outweigh any risks tied to聽the coronavirus, saying students need access to meal programs and mental and behavioral health services.
鈥淲e want to reopen the schools,鈥� Mr. Trump said. 鈥淓verybody wants it. The moms want it, the dads want it, the kids want it. It鈥檚 time to do it.鈥�
But that bright outlook was met with skepticism by some beyond the White House. The president of the nation鈥檚 largest education union said Mr. Trump is more interested in scoring points for the November election than in keeping students safe.
鈥淭rump has proven to be incapable of grasping that people are dying 鈥� that more than 130,000 Americans have already died,鈥� said Lily Eskelsen Garc铆a, president of the National Education Association. 鈥淓ducators want nothing more than to be back in classrooms and on college campuses with our students, but we must do it in a way that keeps students, educators, and communities safe.鈥�
At the White House event, Mr. Trump repeated his claim that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not health reasons. The Republican president made the same claim on Twitter a day before, saying: 鈥淭hey think it will help them in November. Wrong, the people get it!鈥�
Mr. Trump offered no evidence for the allegation, which has been criticized by health experts who say politicizing the issue will make it harder to work toward reopening schools. Jennifer Nuzzo, of聽Johns Hopkins University鈥檚 COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative, said she was 鈥渄eeply troubled鈥� by the claim.
鈥淲hen you make it about politics and just people trying to score points and get elected, I mean, I really think it鈥檚 a disservice to how incredibly important this issue is,鈥� Ms. Nuzzo said in an interview. 鈥淎nd it really distracts from what I think we need, which is real solutions and a plan in order to make this happen.鈥�
Whether schools and colleges should open this fall and how has been a topic of growing debate as the coronavirus continues to surge in parts of the United States. Mr. Trump applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his state鈥檚 recent order to open public schools this fall. And Mr. Trump attacked Harvard University for its decision to hold instruction online for the fall term.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 ridiculous, I think it鈥檚 an easy way out, and I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves, if you want to know the truth,鈥� Mr. Trump said Tuesday.
The聽Centers for Disease Control and Prevention聽has sent mixed signals on the issue, saying students should return to the classroom but also noting that virtual classes present the lowest risk of COVID-19 spread. Speaking at Mr. Trump鈥檚 event, however, the agency鈥檚 director said unequivocally that it鈥檚 better for students to be in school than at home.
Dr. Robert Redfield noted that COVID-19 cases tend to be mild in young people, adding that the greatest risk is transmission from children to more vulnerable populations. He said the CDC encourages all schools to reopen with customized plans to minimize the spread of the coronavirus while giving students access to school services.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that the greater risk to our society is to have these schools close,鈥� Dr. Redfield said. 鈥淣othing would cause me greater sadness than to see any school district or school use our guidance as a reason not to reopen.鈥�
The CDC鈥檚 guidance for schools recommends that students and teachers wear masks 鈥渁s feasible,鈥� spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.
Some schools have announced plans to bring students back for only a few days a week, an option that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday said was unacceptable.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that our nations schools must fully reopen and fully operate this school year. Anything short of that robs students, not to mention taxpayers, of their future,鈥� Ms. DeVos said.
During a call with governors, Ms. DeVos slammed plans by Virginia鈥檚 Fairfax County Public Schools to have families decide between fully remote instruction or two days a week at school. 鈥淎 choice of two days per week in the classroom is not a choice at all,鈥� Ms. DeVos said, according to audio of the call obtained by The Associated Press.
Ms. DeVos also criticized many schools鈥� attempts at distance education after the pandemic prompted them to move classes online last spring. She said she was disappointed in schools that 鈥渄idn鈥檛 figure out how to serve students or who just gave up and didn鈥檛 try.鈥�
The same thing can鈥檛 happen again this fall, she said, urging governors to play a role in getting schools to reopen.
Among those joining Mr. Trump on Tuesday was the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently issued guidelines suggesting that schools aim to start the academic year 鈥減hysically present in school.鈥� Keeping students at home can lead to social isolation, the organization said, and prevent schools from identifying learning deficits, abuse, depression, and other issues.
Students鈥� mental and emotional health 鈥� along with their parents鈥� 鈥� was repeatedly raised in the argument to reopen schools.
鈥淐hildren鈥檚 mental health and social development must be as much of a priority as physical health,鈥� first lady Melania Trump said at the round-table. 鈥淭he same is true for parents. Many will be forced to make stressful choices between caring for their children and going back to work.鈥�
But some are calling for greater caution. Arne Duncan, who served as education secretary under former President Barack Obama, has said the focus should be on making sure students can return safely.
鈥淲e all want children to go back to school,鈥� Mr. Duncan said on Twitter. 鈥淭he question is whether we care enough about our children to ALLOW them to go to school safely. Our behavior, our commitment to shared sacrifice 鈥� or our selfishness 鈥� will determine what happens this fall for kids.鈥�
This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽AP writers Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, and Carla Johnson in Washington state contributed to this report.
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