CNN’s Dana Bash Brutally Grills Education Sec. Betsy DeVos: What Is the Plan to Reopen Schools Safely?

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos faced an intense round of questions from CNN’s Dana Bash when she failed to provide a plan to assure safety while fully reopening schools nationwide.

In an interview that went on for more than 20 minutes, Bash started by pressing DeVos on the numerous Covid-19 spikes that have been reported in several states. To this point, Bash asked “Yes or no, can you assure students, teachers, parents, that they will not get coronavirus because they’re going back to school?”

“The key is that kids have to get back to school,” DeVos said, dodging the question. “We know there are going to be hot spots, and those need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. But the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall.”

As Bash continued to press DeVos on whether schools will be able to re-open safely, which led to a tete-a-tete about the complications that will arise if children end up catching and spread the virus. This also led to an intense face-off on whether DeVos has a nationwide plan to reopen schools in compliance with the Centers for Disease Controls’ guidelines, which reportedly say full reopening presents the highest risk.

As DeVos argued that the CDC did not recommend shutting down schools and want children to go back, Bash continued to ask if she was compelling schools to reopen regardless of local concerns about the possibility of a new outbreak. DeVos continued to muddle since she argued that full-time schooling remains the goal, but school reopening should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

“What we’re saying is that kids need to be back in school, and that school leaders across the country need to be making plans to do just that. There is going to be the exception to the rule. But the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall. And where there are little flare-ups or hot spots, that can be dealt with on a school-by-school or a case-by-case basis. There’s ample opportunity to have kids in school.”

“Everybody wants children to learn in the best possible conditions,” Bash responded, “but there’s also the question of safety and balancing those and I’m not hearing a plan from you on how to get to that goal of children in school learning, but doing so safely. Does the Department of Education have a plan to do that?”

This eventually spilled out even further when Bash asked if the Department of Education would follow the CDC’s guidelines for schools, even after Trump trashed them last week. DeVos insisted the CDC and her department are “on the same page” on the matter, even though she noted that the guidelines are just “recommendations.”

“Dr. Redfield has clearly said these are recommendations, and every situation is going to look slightly different,” she said. “The key for education leaders…They can figure out what is going to be right for their specific situation.”

Watch above, via CNN.