E&W Blog

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that “federal health officials weighed in with a call for returning children to the nation’s classrooms as soon as possible, saying the ‘preponderance of available evidence’ indicates that in-person instruction can be carried out safely as long as mask-wearing and social distancing are maintained.”
 
Parents across America have been caught in an inescapable vice grip, schools have closed their doors, and students have been deprived of the benefits of learning alongside their peers in classroom settings.
 
Whiles studies have shown, and health professionals have stated, that schools CAN safely reopen with proper precautions in place, powerful teachers’ unions and special interest groups continue on an endless and shameful crusade to delay the safe reopening of schools.
 
Education and Labor Committee Republicans have consistently supported the safe reopening of America’s schools for the sake of our children’s futures. Forced virtual learning cannot fill the void of effective in-person instruction and classroom interactions. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, summed it up earlier this week:
 
“…Republicans in Washington and across the country sounded the alarm about the inadequacy of virtual learning. We warned that the learning costs for students would be disastrous and in some cases, irreparable…Parents have had enough. It is time to help get our kids safely back in school.”
 
Committee Republicans will continue to fight for the future of EVERY child, and safely returning to the classroom is the first and perhaps most important step in that fight. The debate on reopening America’s schools shouldn’t be a question of ‘when’, but rather about ‘how’ we do so safely.