All Washington DC public schools will begin the year virtually on August 31 through at least November 6, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office announced Thursday.
The announcement comes after the mayor last week tightened mask requirements and quarantined travelers arriving in the district from coronavirus hot spots.
Students who do not have access to the Internet or a computer at home will receive the necessary technology, the mayor’s office said. Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said DC had been collecting data from more than 13,000 respondents and found that 44 percent of students do not have access to a device at home.
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Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn said the school system will continue to work on second-period in-person learning options for families and students who need it.
The Trump administration and Republicans have long lobbied for schools to reopen amid the pandemic, with Senate Republicans including more than $ 100 billion in school funding, aiming to modernize campuses to bring in children back in the fall.
Health officials, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, have warned of serious second-hand consequences if children do not return to school. But as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across large parts of the country, teacher unions have threatened to strike if schools reopen in conditions they consider unsafe.
Bowser seemed to allude to the union’s unwillingness to return to the classroom as a factor in the district’s decision to return virtually.
“You know, I’m just going to speak frankly, if we don’t have teachers who want to come in person, we will have to find another group of adults who want to come in person,” Bowser said, according to WTOP. .
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DC reported 58 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday and there were no new deaths. The district has seen 12,057 cases so far and 584 deaths.
