Reopening Texas schools involves tough choices, and Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t help
The new school year in Texas is always filled with excitement and anticipation, back-to-school shopping, new class schedules and teachers. This year, the sentiment is markedly different.
My Senate office recently received calls from concerned teachers, overwhelmed at the thought of being forced back to school as COVID-19 infections are accelerating. Like so many of their colleagues, administrators, and parents, teachers understand a harsh reality — to send students back into the classroom before the COVID-19 outbreak is contained, poses a danger for teachers, children and the community-at-large. Some scientists describe the decision to return students to the classroom as a potential super spreader.
Texas is facing new record numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths nearly every day, with no sign of a change in direction. Texas citizens constitute 9% of the United States’ population. Sadly, Texas is currently contributing 14% of all COVID-19 cases. Tarrant County is on pace to double its COVID-19 case count within three weeks. But every day there is rhetoric from Washington that is both reckless and out of touch with the reality families face.
Last week, President Donald Trump admonished the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to relax guidelines for reopening the nation’s schools. Trump called the current CDC guidelines “very tough and expensive.”
With the support of Education Secretary DeVos and Vice President Mike Pence, the president, in complete disregard of infection rates, threatened to hold federal funding hostage if school districts don’t open their doors next month.
It is both cynical and morally bankrupt for the president to accuse others — often staunch public education advocates — of trying to manipulate the COVID-19 crisis for political gain. It is a tired pattern of failed leadership, and the nation’s children and families will continue to suffer because of it.
Public health guidelines must be dictated by science and the best advice of public-health experts. To politically manipulate either is to place communities and the nation at risk. No teacher or parent wants to gamble the safety of children for the political gain of a president or the threat of the loss of federal resources for public schools.
The only way to safely open schools this fall is to focus intensely on flattening the curve across the state. Gov. Greg Abbott halted Texas’ reopening plans and enacted a face mask order ahead of the July 4th weekend. It was the correct choice.
Because COVID-19 symptoms can take up to two weeks to manifest, the full impact of this policy will not be known for some time. Any benefits of the governor’s actions will take weeks to appear, leaving only days to adapt before schools are scheduled to open.
Leaders at every level must look realistically at the data and community conditions and plan accordingly. If there is inadequate funding for measures necessary to keep children and teachers safe, it is no time to return to face to face instruction.
If educators come to work fearful each day, they cannot be at their best. It is a stark reality that many parents may need to become co-teachers at home for a time. Decisions that are critical to the success of the family deserve support, preparation, honesty and guidance well in advance of their implementation.