Education Secretary Says On MSNBC It’s ‘Most Important’ For Schools to Stay Open Amid Omicron Spike: ‘Our Kids Need to be In School’

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on MSNBC on Tuesday that it’s “most important” for schools to stay open amid the spike in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, adding “our kids need to be in school.”

Teeing up Cardona, MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin mentioned that “back in March, the CDC published findings from a 2020 survey of parents, that found that more than half who had kids in virtual learning had increased emotional distress, many had trouble sleeping or even some reporting they were increasing drugs or alcohol.”

“With those in mind, how would you advise administrators who are struggling mightily with this rapidly spreading Omicron variant?” asked Melvin.

Cardona replied, identifying as “a father of two teenagers,” that “their emotional health matters too.”

He continued:

I’ve heard from parents across the country that they need our schools to stay open. And to those administrators and principals and superintendents and chiefs, I commend them, first of all, for doing what they need to do to keep our schools open. I realize how challenging it is. My message is let’s continue to use [American Rescue Plan] funds, let’s continue to learn from one another, let’s continue to listen to parents about what they’re seeing with their own children.

But let’s think outside the box and make sure that we’re doing what we need to do to keep our doors open. Five days a week full-time is what our students need. They need more, not less. I know they’re working really hard on that and we’re going to continue to be partners with them because it’s most important for us that our schools stay open. Our kids need to be in school. That’s not only where they get their academic learning, and we can talk a lot about missed instruction, but for many students that’s where they get warm meals, that’s where they get adult interaction or access to mental health support.

You know, students are six times more likely to access mental health support in their schoolhouse than anywhere else. Our students have gone through a lot. We need to keep our schools open. It’s critically important for our country.

Watch above, via MSNBC.