Press Releases

Despite CDC research concluding that schools can reopen with proper safety measures, the lights are still off in too many schools across America.

Students are falling behind, parents are overwhelmed, and student’s mental health is declining. This week, the Biden administration admitted the $2 trillion liberal wish list they are pushing has nothing to do with reopening schools this year. Just like teachers’ unions, this administration keeps moving the goalposts at the expense of students and families.

In case you missed it, Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Appropriations Committee Republican Leader Kay Granger (R-TX), both former educators, recently penned an op-ed in the Washington Times urging schools to reopen safely and swiftly:   

Follow the Science, Reopen Schools Now
By Reps. Kay Granger and Virginia Foxx
February 19, 2021 

(Washington Times) – Nearly a year ago, our lives were upended by the pandemic, and since then, all of us have been impacted in one way or another.
 
This is especially true for American families. With schools and businesses shuttered, many parents had to address dual challenges of working from home and managing remote learning for their children. Unfortunately, the loss of in-person learning has resulted in significant negative consequences for some of our nation’s most vulnerable children.
 
As former educators, we know firsthand how important it is for students to be in the classroom, surrounded by their peers. Recent research conducted by PACE and the Stanford Graduate School of Education found that “there has been significant learning loss” as a result of the pandemic, with early-grade and low-income students “falling behind more compared to others.” Furthermore, McKinsey & Co. concluded that “students on average could lose five to nine months of learning by the end of June 2021” if the current educational situation isn’t confronted.
 
School closures are having a detrimental effect on our nation’s youth, and the impact is broader than just learning loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health visits to the emergency room increased 24% for children 5-11 years old and 31% for adolescents 12-17 years old from March to October of last year…
 
In select states — including our home states of Texas and North Carolina — many school districts and private schools have safely reopened. These instances have shown that, with appropriate protocols in place, schools can safely open their doors to students.
 
As recently as two weeks ago, the CDC called for students to return to their 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…
 
To read the full op-ed in The Washington Times, click here.