WASHINGTON – With some school districts just a few weeks away from the beginning of the academic year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released long-awaited guidelines for reopening with a strong emphasis on students returning to the classroom.
The guidelines established the social, emotional, and mental risks of keeping students at home and provided general outlines on how to resume in-person instruction in accordance with what the CDC has already recommended to other entities, such as practicing good hygiene, disinfecting surfaces. regularly and space students to maintain social distance.
Other recommendations included reusing unused or underused buildings or moving classes outside when possible and keeping students in “groups” where the same groups stay together during the school day. Schools were also encouraged to have a plan of what to do when someone gets sick, with guidelines saying that the entire school would not need to close if one person tested positive.
Some of the nation’s largest school districts have already said that they will not be bringing students back to the classroom in the fall and that they will instead do all of the remote learning. In announcing the publication of the guidelines Thursday, President Donald Trump suggested that the districts’ decision not to resume in-person learning was politically motivated, and again threatened to withdraw federal funds for schools that do not open their doors.
“I hope that local leaders put the health and well-being of their students first and make the right choice for parents, teachers, and not make political decisions, it is something very, very important,” Trump said.
He said that funds for schools that don’t reopen should be diverted to parents who could then choose to send their children to a private or charter school.
Schools are already struggling to find the funds necessary to meet the additional needs of students in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, such as providing hand sanitizer, additional buses to allow for social distancing, and multiple materials so students don’t have to share .
“If the school is closed, money should follow the student so that parents and families are in control of their own decisions,” Trump said. “So I would like the money to go to the student’s parents.”
The White House has emphasized that the guide is only a recommendation and will not replace state and local decision-making. Interim guidelines on reopening schools have been available on the agency’s website since mid-May.
In line with Trump’s push to open school for fall, the CDC guide focused on the need for in-person learning and outlined the social, emotional, and physical cost of students if they are not in the classroom.
But he also emphasized that there is a physical risk for students returning to the classroom. The guidelines noted that some children may be at increased risk of serious illness from the virus, such as those who have developmental disabilities, an underlying condition, certain neurological conditions, or who have congenital heart disease.
“Parents, guardians, and caregivers must weigh the relative health risks of COVID-19 transmission of personal instruction against the educational, social, and emotional risks of not providing in-person instruction when deciding between these two options,” he added. . The guidelines stated, adding that “if you, your child, or a household member are at increased risk for serious illness due to COVID-19, you must weigh the benefits, risks, and feasibility of available educational options.”
