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President Biden said some good things, contradicted himself, and raised some new questions last night about schools. A thread!
This is exactly right! Listen to this. It’s precisely the reason schools should be open today in some form and definitely full time after teachers are vaccinated. https://twitter.com/markbednar/status/1361866253242097664
Unfortunately, the Biden Administration guidance is directly opposed to this simple truth. Linking school opening to community spread ignores public health experts saying this exact same thing.
This is puzzling! He walked back @PressSec and said she made a mistake. But she said it, and a day later said it again when asked to clarify. So it’s more likely the West Wing realized how dumb this sounded and blamed it on comms. https://twitter.com/biannagolodryga/status/1361861006335606785
Biden’s new statement lacks any ambition. 40% of school districts ARE CURRENTLY 5 days a week. So Biden’s goal is to eek that up 10% in three months? The problem is in the 30% of districts that lack competence, like Fairfax. He’s hiding behind the already successful districts.
This is where it gets tricky
Biden was asked about school safety from a teacher who wants kids to remain locked out of schools. His answer was his CDC guidance essentially. Smaller class sizes, etc. It is impossible to square the other statements above with this one.
Smaller class sizes are impossible to achieve at the same time as full time learning. This is obvious. Smaller class sizes are unnecessary if what Biden said on vaccines and the risk to kids are true. So Biden is telling everyone what they want to hear.
The fact is that Biden is right on the low risk to kids and right to prioritize teachers being vaccinated IF that means a return to full time learning as it clearly should.
So Biden still needs to clarify his contradictory guidance. And stop tying opening to his stimulus bill which would spend 90% of the money after 2022. More teachers and more money are not the issues. It’s simply listening to your own common sense.
Because under current Biden rules, this is school. An unskilled monitor watching kids on laptops. Do these English as Second Language students look like they’re thriving? https://twitter.com/drewwildertv/status/1361749502751866888
