The Trump administration is pushing back on Democratic-led efforts to keep schools closed this fall, arguing that a successful recovery depends on the nation’s schools.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which often has found itself at odds with the rest of the administration during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, released guidance on Friday in support of reopening schools.
Because coronavirus-related health risks with children are so small, there is no reason to delay educational achievement any further, the guidance states.
Especially since “the lack of in-person educational options” is a health risk in and of itself, the CDC explained.
“Extended school closure is harmful to children,” the CDC said. “It can lead to severe learning loss, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with heightened behavioral needs.”
But the absence of in-school instruction was harmful even to children who were not reliant on the structure of a traditional school setting due to their at-home circumstances and behavioral needs, the CDC noted.
Just as students returning from an eight-week summer hiatus often deal with atrophy of knowledge, those coming back from a lengthier gap will likely have lost even more valuable academic and other skills during a crucial developmental juncture.
“For many students, long breaks from in-person education are harmful to student learning,” the CDC said. “The prospect of losing several months of schooling, compared to the few weeks of summer vacation, due to school closure likely only makes the learning loss even more severe.”
Democrats, however, continue to support corrupt teacher’s unions’ efforts to keep schools closed.
In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed an executive order earlier this month delaying the start of the school year. But during a virtual meeting, the state Board of Education blocked the order last Wednesday, effectively allowing individual school districts to decide when they want to start the school year.
“The districts have been preparing for this, and they are prepared,” board member Michelle Dombrosky said. “This needs to be a local decision.”
Kelly continued to encourage school districts to delay reopening as long as possible, arguing that the health of their students is at stake:
Thank you to all Kansas school districts that have chosen to delay reopening until after the Labor Day holiday. I urge all districts across the state to do the same – we must work together to protect the health and safety of our students and educators. https://t.co/sxW43r3KYj
— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) July 23, 2020
