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US Education Chief Presses for Reopening of Schools

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - U.S. education chief Betsy DeVos on Sunday pressed local
   communities throughout the country to reopen schools with
   five-day-a-week, in-person instruction in the coming weeks, saying it
   was entirely safe even as the number of coronavirus cases surges to new
   highs.

   DeVos, in appearances on talk shows on Fox News and CNN, disputed
   advice from health experts and state and local government officials
   against full resumption of in-school classes that have mostly been shut
   down since March as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country.
   The U.S. is now recording 60,000 or more cases a day, often new daily
   highs over the last week.

   "Getting back to learning is really imperative," DeVos told the "Fox
   News Sunday" show. "Nothing in the data suggests that's it's in any way
   dangerous," noting that scientists do not believe children transmit the
   virus anywhere near as often as adults do.

   "Kids don't get this virus the same way," she said.

   DeVos told CNN, "The go-to needs to be kids in schools. Schools need to
   get open." She allowed, however, that in communities where there are
   virus flareups, virtual online learning could be employed "for a few
   days." She told Fox News, "Where there are hot spots, we'll have to
   deal with that."

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