White House calls for accelerated reopening of schools to open most middle schools in March

White House statement on Feb. 12 calls for safe reopening of U.S. schools (Jill Biden, Biden’s wife, tweeted photo)

The White House issued a statement on Feb. 12 from President Biden calling for the safe reopening of America’s schools as soon as possible, with the goal of reopening most K-8 schools (pre-K through 8th grade) by the end of the new administration’s 100 days.

The statement calls this a national imperative and hopes that Congress will provide the resources needed for states and communities to safely complete these efforts to achieve through the Rescue America program.

12, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided the best scientific evidence on how to safely reopen schools. The CDC’s notice calls for proper distance in classrooms and on school buses, consistent and proper masking, regular hand washing and the ability to respond effectively to cases through testing and contact tracing. Schools will be safer when these methods are followed.

The circular also calls for more teachers and support staff in some schools, more buses and drivers to safely transport students, more in-person instruction at more sites, more protective equipment, school cleaning services and reduced virus transmission.

Since the U.S. closed schools in 2020 because of the Covid-19 virus (a Chinese Communist virus), distance learning has varied for each student. The White House statement said that Parents of students are leaving the workforce in alarming numbers to care for and manage the learning of their children at Home, which is hindering their own opportunities to sustain their families’ needs with jobs and therefore hurting the U.S. economy.

The White House statement concluded by saying that President Biden and the Secretary of Education, upon confirmation, will task the Secretary with working with school administrators, educators and parents to safely expedite the school reopening process; require that teachers be prioritized for vaccinations; and urge all states to follow suit in following the CDC’s recommendations.