DeVos pledges use of 'bully pulpit' to urge school reopening
The comments come the same day Boston schools paused reopening plans because of a rise in coronavirus cases.
SACRAMENTO — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pledged Wednesday to use the "bully pulpit" to pressure states to reopen schools for in-person learning amid the pandemic.
DeVos said on a Zoom event hosted by the Pacific Research Institute that she and President Donald Trump have been "very consistent" about the need to reopen schools for in-person learning "in every possible situation."
The context: The comments come the same day that Boston schools paused reopening plans because of a rise in coronavirus cases and as New York City scrambles to reverse its reopening plans for hundreds of schools. In California, some schools have reopened with mandated mask and social distancing policies but many, including Los Angeles Unified, the country's second-largest district, have no plans of a full scale reopening anytime soon.
"We know that in some places where there is a spike in cases of the virus, that there may have to be short times of working at a distance, but for those families who need and want this for their children, learning in person, there's no other substitute for it," DeVos said Wednesday. "We have continued to urge states and districts to make sure they're offering this as an option to families. Of course, these are state and local decisions, but we will continue to use the bully pulpit to urge this to happen."
California reported on Tuesday that there has been no spike in coronavirus cases in the limited openings across the state, which mostly include elementary schools.
The big picture: DeVos used the pandemic as reason to promote school choice, including charter schools, "micro schools" and learning pods, saying now more than ever parents should have a say in their child's education due to campus closures and distance learning struggles.
But teachers unions and civil rights advocates across the country have warned of the impact that an increase in charter school or private school enrollment could have on the traditional K-12 system, worried it will exacerbate already wide achievement gaps for low income students and student of color.
In California, online charter schools that were not a popular choice before the pandemic now have wait lists in the thousands, with parents scrambling for CONTINUE READING: DeVos pledges use of 'bully pulpit' to urge school reopening - POLITICO
The context: The comments come the same day that Boston schools paused reopening plans because of a rise in coronavirus cases and as New York City scrambles to reverse its reopening plans for hundreds of schools. In California, some schools have reopened with mandated mask and social distancing policies but many, including Los Angeles Unified, the country's second-largest district, have no plans of a full scale reopening anytime soon.
"We know that in some places where there is a spike in cases of the virus, that there may have to be short times of working at a distance, but for those families who need and want this for their children, learning in person, there's no other substitute for it," DeVos said Wednesday. "We have continued to urge states and districts to make sure they're offering this as an option to families. Of course, these are state and local decisions, but we will continue to use the bully pulpit to urge this to happen."
California reported on Tuesday that there has been no spike in coronavirus cases in the limited openings across the state, which mostly include elementary schools.
The big picture: DeVos used the pandemic as reason to promote school choice, including charter schools, "micro schools" and learning pods, saying now more than ever parents should have a say in their child's education due to campus closures and distance learning struggles.
But teachers unions and civil rights advocates across the country have warned of the impact that an increase in charter school or private school enrollment could have on the traditional K-12 system, worried it will exacerbate already wide achievement gaps for low income students and student of color.
In California, online charter schools that were not a popular choice before the pandemic now have wait lists in the thousands, with parents scrambling for CONTINUE READING: DeVos pledges use of 'bully pulpit' to urge school reopening - POLITICO
