In a recent press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki made it clear that President Biden wants schools to reopen but that the teacher unions have him wrapped around their finger.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a coronavirus briefing that teacher vaccinations are not a prerequisite for safe reopening. She said they will continue to prioritize the vaccination of teachers but that they can reopen schools safely without it. The CDC also released new data that has found little evidence that schools contribute to increased community transmission.
The CDC encouraged schools to open their doors nationwide and included a slew of informational materials on how to return safely immediately. Biden’s continuing hesitation counter his vow to safely reopen a majority of K-9 schools in his first 100 days in office. Are Dems following the funding or the science at this point?
“The president, let me be crystal clear, wants schools to open, he wants them to stay open and he wants to do that safely and he wants health and medical experts to be the guides for how we should do exactly that,” Psaki told reporters.
Secretary Psaki denied Dr. Walensky’s statements and said she spoke to this “in her personal capacity” but that they were going to wait for the final guidance to come out. She said there were a number of other mitigation steps to follow like mask-wearing, social distancing, and ventilation. Democrats make it seem like schools can’t sanitize classrooms without the help of a fancy government check.
Reporters asked if the Biden Administration would take a stand against lucrative teacher unions refusing to let schools open for in-person learning, even when the science backs it up. Secretary Psaki told reporters that they posed the question “a little bit unfair” but that President Biden believes schools should be open and that they want to do it safely. This counters everything Walensky has doubled down on regarding CDC guidance.
After nearly a year of virtual learning, calls are growing for public schools to open immediately. Teen suicides have been on the rise and kids who’ve missed out on virtual learning will never make up the lost time and could carry the effects with them for quite some time.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg urged President Biden to stand up against teacher unions who continue to advocate for at-home learning over concerns about COVID-19. “It’s time for Joe Biden to stand up and to say, the kids are the most important things, important players here. And the teachers just are going to have to suck it up and stand up and provide an education,” he said.
Did people forget Biden had signed an executive order to provide federal guidance to the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services on getting kids back to school safely? He has the science and still won’t follow it.
