On Thursday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that President Joe Biden’s goal is to have schools re-open to five days a week in-person learning as soon as safely possible. She stated, however, that the Biden administration would follow the guidance of medical and science experts on proper procedures for reopening.
Psaki was adamant that the President would not rest until everY school is open five days a week.
The White House met some criticism after it announced the initial goal of having in-person teaching at least one day per week in most schools within the first 100 days of Biden’s presidency. That was not what Biden had first promised when he claimed it was his goal to reopen the majority of K-12 schools in his first 100 days in office.
Psaki worked to clarify that goal in that it is an initial bar to reach and then exceed. Parents should not be satisfied with one day a week of in-person learning and the President’s objective is to get to five days a week of in-person learning while relying on science and the advice of experts to get us there.
Vaccines, of course, are a mitigating factor in helping teachers get back into the building. Some research shows teachers could get back in the building without being vaccinated, yet there has been resistance from teacher unions that school districts should not force teachers back to school who are fearful of getting infected with Covid-19.
