Johns Hopkins Launches New Tracker For School Reopening Plans
The university’s site tracks where each state currently stands on safety, health and academic help.
The go-to site for the latest national and world COVID-19 data has launched a special tracker for U.S. school reopenings.
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is monitoring which states have addressed 12 criteria, including safety and academic measures, in their school reopening plans. So far, 43 states and the District of Columbia have released reopening plans, though they don’t necessarily involve in-person instruction until some level of safety is assured.
The criteria include safety protocols, such as mask and social distance requirements, as well as “ethics and equity” plans, including special help for disadvantaged children. Schools will not only have to address the health and safety of students and staff but also how to “make up for the losses in learning, health and support systems” caused by school shutdowns, according to a JHU statement.
The tracker was unveiled as President Donald Trump presses his controversial demand that all schools open for in-person instruction this fall, threatening to cut federal funds to those that don’t.
His top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, insisted Friday to reporters that going back to school is “not that hard.” But the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested that it might not be safe, particularly while coronavirus cases are at hitting record levels, until health experts approve. CONTINUE READING: Johns Hopkins Launches New Tracker For School Reopening Plans | HuffPost
