Always polarizing on schools, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos brushes off coronavirus risks | Analysis https://t.co/ntrfWJBEra pic.twitter.com/xrheYSUaK0

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 12, 2020

What’s really unfortunate is it seems any hope for a reasonable debate on school reopening suffered a major setback this past week, after state/district leaders spent months drafting plans and engaging and building trust in their communities to make these super tough decisions.

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 12, 2020

“Right now there are places around the country where the virus is spreading explosively and it would be difficult if not impossible to operate schools safely until the virus is under better control.” https://t.co/BOxTSBmZy8

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) July 12, 2020

One answer that struck me was DeVos conceding: “I can't, as a nonphysician or a nonmedical expert, tell you precisely what to do in the case of one child in a classroom or five children in a classroom….” [transmitting virus].

The experts who can have been sidelined/undermined. https://t.co/LI4j6UHEJo

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 12, 2020

DeVos praised this charter network during a televised press conference during which she trashed Fairfax Co. schools for offering families the option of all remote/ in-person instruction two days a week. https://t.co/2cN8AXv1Ij

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 12, 2020

.@BetsyDeVosED you have no plan. Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives. You point to a private sector that has put profits over people and claimed the lives of thousands of essential workers. I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant let alone my child. https://t.co/Qs0Z7gCnMo

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) July 12, 2020

NYT: No nation has tried to send children back to school with the virus raging at levels like America’s, and the scientific research about transmission in classrooms is limited.https://t.co/OxuXKSXS15

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 12, 2020

BASH: "Yes or no: Can you assure students, teachers and parents that they will not get coronavirus because they’re going back to school?"

DEVOS: "Well, the key is that kids have to get back to school."#CNNSOTU

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) July 12, 2020

Perspective: To DeVos, the virus is an excuse to strip public money from public schools https://t.co/QrHatjqyGO

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 11, 2020

1. Teachers are organizing into a national movement to demand schools stay closed until strict safety measures are in place or the virus is under control.

They say they do not feel safe or listened to. And Trump’s intervention has deepened their anger. https://t.co/yXz7T16psD

— Dana Goldstein (@DanaGoldstein) July 11, 2020

So…on the same day the president was railing against C.D.C. guidelines on reopening schools, it turns out a special task force had compiled & circulated said guidance, along with best practices from across the country, that directly contradicted him. https://t.co/kp4TTOyqPU

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 11, 2020

One in four teachers is at a greater risk of serious illness if they contract coronavirus https://t.co/AL6U74OrlS pic.twitter.com/AODxrXdbra

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 11, 2020

President Trump has been on a rampage against public schools all week, threatening to use the power of the federal government to strong-arm officials into reopening classrooms.

But his effort is now creating a backlash https://t.co/Qm9Ww7rtND

— POLITICO (@politico) July 11, 2020

Conservatives don’t care if our kids get shot at school so we shouldn’t be surprised that they don’t care if kids get sick at school.

— Farron Cousins (@farronbalanced) July 9, 2020

Trump sees a political win in getting schools open and is using the relatively low danger to kids as a rationale for doing so.

What the White House isn't talking about is the risk to the 10 percent of people in those schools who aren't children. https://t.co/ya7klcmRpH

— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 10, 2020

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow dismisses difficulties surrounding reopening schools as coronavirus cases rise, saying going back to school is "not that hard" https://t.co/ouHrACtVBt pic.twitter.com/addK5K9Ide

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 10, 2020

Infectious disease experts in the United States are calling for decisions on reopening schools to be "based on evidence and available resources to address risks of infection and illness" in a new statement https://t.co/Zh4uwFsqFZ

— CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2020

You took the SAT virtually. https://t.co/t6EV9E870S

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 10, 2020

TX teacher: "I love my job, I love educating kids, I would love to do it to best of my ability as safely as possible. But if they decide my safety doesn’t matter, that the safety of my students doesn’t matter — ” she said, pausing, “I don’t know.” https://t.co/QtSGrprdyz

— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) July 9, 2020

✏️ Desks stationed six feet apart
✏️ One-way corridors
✏️ Open-air classrooms
✏️ Staggered schedules@drsanjaygupta takes a look at changes being considered to keep schools safe for kids this fall. #CNNTownHall https://t.co/G8VfLbEUkn pic.twitter.com/xaKFPabiTV

— CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2020

Trump: Young people have immune systems that are "so powerful, so strong." He continues, "We have to open our schools. Open our schools. Stop this nonsense. We open our schools." He adds, "It's only political nonsense. It's politics."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 9, 2020

Trump v CDC update. After Trump criticized the CDC guidelines to opening schools, VP Pence said new guidelines would be coming bc Trump thinks the current ones are “too tough.” Now, the CDC director says there aren’t new guidelines coming. Pretty incredible interview. 👇🏾 https://t.co/cB8DYY2eoH

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 9, 2020

Robert Redfield: CDC won’t be revising school guidelines but will provide “additional information.” “Our guidelines are our guidelines, but we are going to provide additional reference documents to aid basically communities that are trying to open K-through-12s,” Redfield on ABC

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 9, 2020

American Public Health Association on Trump pushing for CDC to loosen school reopening guidelines: "All of us want a red traffic light to turn green at an intersection, but we don’t just drive through recklessly and risk our own lives and those of others."

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) July 9, 2020

A remarkable reversal from Trump administration, which has repeatedly emphasized local decision-making on coronavirus, now declaring schools "must reopen and they must be fully operational," even if local officials deem it totally unsafe

— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) July 8, 2020

I missed this part of the press conference because I was talking to the superintendent of an AZ school district where three teachers contracted COVID-19 teaching summer school in the same room.

One teacher died. They took every precaution, the superintendent said. https://t.co/dDkcF6ohml

— Lily Altavena🌵 (@lilyalta) July 8, 2020

"In testimony to the Israeli parliament, Dr. Udi Kliner, Sadetzki’s deputy, reported that schools—not restaurants or gyms—turned out to be the country’s worst mega-infectors." https://t.co/FL20q9LxBM

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 9, 2020

The politicization of school openings by Trump and Pence is completely unnecessary. I don't know anyone who doesn't want schools to open. People just want to make sure its safe. This doesn't need to be a divisive issue. https://t.co/8IRHkVxXbm

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) July 8, 2020

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for reopening schools are the minimum of what the country should be doing to make sure that schools can reopen and stay open, public health expert Dr. Ashish Jha says https://t.co/SzemUgXWz8

— CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2020

WH signaling future state money could be conditioned on schools reopening, prompting Dem pushback. “You just have to randomly open schools and take your chances or you're not going to get any state aid? I mean that's an absolutely no,” Murray said https://t.co/OhoWDVfs5g

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 9, 2020

The Trump administration's "reopening schools" rally today, by me and the great @peterbakernyt.

Trump Leans on Schools to Reopen as Virus Continues Its Spread: https://t.co/6mo7UPmXNG

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 8, 2020

California schools will reopen when the data shows it is safe to do so, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom

“I’m not worried about the latest tweets." https://t.co/AdZOaQb66h

— CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2020

DAMN, son. https://t.co/A8yTmluF7b

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 8, 2020

Trump says, “we must open our country up now.” Betsy DeVos just said, “students can & must continue to learn full time.” But NONE of them can say, “Americans must wear masks to protect themselves & others.” What the h&ll is wrong w/these people. Yes, that’s a rhetorical question.

— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) July 8, 2020

Every plan to reopen schools safely in the fall costs money, and school districts and local governments don’t have any. https://t.co/FFKZEttHpi

— Vox (@voxdotcom) July 8, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump threatens to withhold federal funds from schools that don't reopen, lashes out at health officials over guidelines.

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) July 8, 2020

Translation: Ignore the scientists who work for us and trust the reality TV star President who is more concerned about his election than your child's health https://t.co/u2Zd6lNA5C

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) July 8, 2020

Asked what the administration's specific plan is to support schools, re testing, tracing, PPE, etc., Pence says, "The plan is to continue to do what we have done from the very beginning." He claims that is providing governors "whatever support they need."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 8, 2020

Everyone agrees. School closures have been damaging to children. But the solution is not to tweet "schools must open" but to design policies, and provide resources, to open them as safely as possible. It's like the economy–if it's not done well, we will be shut down again. https://t.co/OqlQv9PPtn

— Julian Zelizer (@julianzelizer) July 8, 2020

The risk of schools not opening in fall is fearful. Students will carry the scar for years, marginal students may lose their educations altogether. The burden on parents is crushing.

But Trump's "let the kids face the risk" is no answer. Schools are closed because he failed

— David Frum (@davidfrum) July 8, 2020

So schools can safely reopen if they simply follow hospital-grade infection prevention protocols? And he thinks that’s a compelling argument for reopening them this fall? https://t.co/aG7e51zMMK

— Jeremy BLACK LIVES MATTER Konyndyk (@JeremyKonyndyk) July 7, 2020

The president of Florida's largest teachers union and and an elementary teacher in Broward county join the show to discuss the perils of Florida requiring schools to reopen in August. https://t.co/nR1kVfjf8Q pic.twitter.com/qlWctKAdk8

— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) July 8, 2020

Asked by Nexstar today what specifically his administration is doing to make sure schools can reopen, Trump did not identify anything. Rather, he simply said "the schools have to open." He also claimed there will be a vaccine "very soon."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 8, 2020

White House presses for schools to reopen in fall https://t.co/bET50lG9Dk

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 8, 2020

🚨

⁦@BetsyDeVosED⁩ used a conference call w govs today to target one of the most high-profile school districts in the country

Read ⁦@peterbakernyt⁩ ⁦⁦+ @EricaLG⁩
on how Trump & allies are going all-in demanding schools reopen > https://t.co/jMNYwXYHPj

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) July 8, 2020

"We're very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open," said Pres. Trump, who has been anxious to reopen America to kickstart the economy and otherwise move on from the pandemic, despite its resurgence https://t.co/ox5tWWxvDg

— CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2020

Teachers I have gotten alarmed text messages from do not want it. https://t.co/aeWhjpuPAB

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) July 7, 2020

President Trump says he is going to put pressure on governors to reopen their schools and admits some places will have difficulty https://t.co/xdFtDVtdpB pic.twitter.com/5OvUJyu139

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 7, 2020

The choice before us is not between schools staying closed or schools reopening in potentially unsafe conditions. The choice is whether we care enough about opening schools to do what is necessary *now* so it will be safe to do so in the fall.

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) July 7, 2020

Trump turning the complicated decisions of opening schools into a wedge issue, accusing Dems both on Twitter and today at the WH of wanting to keep them closed in the fall “for political reasons” https://t.co/IyZvyY7xXc

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 7, 2020

NOW: My question – If it’s safe to send kids back to school is it safe to send Manafort back to prison. Walk off. No answer. @realDonaldTrump @PressSec pic.twitter.com/YUSrVCf44L

— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) July 8, 2020

Posting this again. https://t.co/xAohadmIIi

— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) July 8, 2020

This dynamic was tense enough w/o injecting presidential politics. Nothing good can come of it. https://t.co/XwSsQeYJxM

— Liam Donovan (@LPDonovan) July 6, 2020

From “sleepy” to “corrupt”. Which makes sense — I remember working as a prosecutor and taking down drowsy, dishonest crime bosses. https://t.co/iFUOoM26Bg

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 6, 2020

VP Pence says on call with governors that it's the recommendation of POTUS & WH coronavirus task force that schools reopen. Adds that guidance govs are receiving "is meant to supplement and not replace state local, territorial or tribal laws, rules, regulations," per audio.

— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) July 7, 2020

DeSantis has mandated K-12 schools reopen in 4 weeks, vetoed funding for online learning & refuses to mandate mask wearing

He is either trying to endanger our children or trying to sabotage K-12 education altogether

Rich families will find an alternative. Poor families will not

— Pam Keith (@PamKeithFL) July 7, 2020

When it’s safe enough for Manafort to go back to jail, we can discuss safely opening schools. 🤨

— Linda Childers (@lindarchilders) July 6, 2020

Um. So this happened. https://t.co/MaAyDVpdi5

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) July 6, 2020

“I will not reopen our school system August 24th if the conditions are what they are today,” Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says. “Our reopening plan contemplates a phase two reality. We are still in phase one.” https://t.co/BBpiUNVWhm pic.twitter.com/sj2nPQJqMc

— CNN (@CNN) July 7, 2020

TRUMP: "We want to reopen the schools. Everybody wants it. The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It's time to do it." (He cites no evidence.) pic.twitter.com/shcR3yNRAr

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 7, 2020

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is assailing plans by some local districts to offer in-person instruction only a few days a week. She says schools must be “fully operational” even amid the pandemic and anything less fails students and taxpayers. https://t.co/U9KSDdVypM

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 7, 2020

54% of parents are somewhat or very uncomfortable with reopening K-12 schools this Fall https://t.co/s8toDSy5eU

— Andrew Yang🧢🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) July 5, 2020

Trump on political leaders who won't yet open schools in the fall: "We don't want people to make political statements or do it for political reasons, they think it's gonna be good for them politically so they keep the schools closed. No way." He says he'll put pressure on them.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 7, 2020

Not going to stop the virus, not going to give schools additional resources or expertise, just going to apply political pressure. Awesome. This will go well. https://t.co/KQyj7bGHnX

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) July 7, 2020

Top Trump official makes a mockery of teachers' concerns about reopening schools safely https://t.co/SbRCb6LlQj

— Daily Kos (@dailykos) July 7, 2020