National Education Assoc. Head Bashes School Reopen Push: I ‘Double Dog Dare’ Trump to Breathe Air from a Class of 6th Graders

National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia bashed President Donald Trump’s push to reopen schools during a Wednesday interview on CNN’s New Day — “double dog” daring him to sit in a classroom with 39 sixth graders and breathe their air without preparing a safe return.

Garcia clarified that she wants schools to open back up as soon as possible and noted that teachers and parents are more eager to get students back in schools more than anyone else is. She added that she wants to open schools safely — commenting on states that saw spikes in coronavirus cases once they opened restaurants and bars too early.

“This isn’t a bar. We’re talking about second graders. I had 39 sixth graders one year in my class,” she said. “I double dog dare Donald Trump to sit in a class of 39 sixth graders and breathe that air without any preparation for how we’re going to bring our kids back safely.”

CNN host Alisyn Camerota noted that U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Trump are looking to states, local municipalities, and the schools themselves to determine how they will open in the fall, but the National Education Association has their own guidelines.

The guidelines include equipping teachers and students with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), deep cleaning regularly, accommodating social distancing, and setting up hand washing and hand sanitizing stations throughout the school.

Garcia noted that schools and the National Education Association do not have the money needed to meet these guidelines, continuing to rip into Trump’s reopening plan.

“There is a bill sitting on Mitch Mcconnell’s desk right now called the Heroes Act, passed by the House, that has billions of dollars dedicated to schools right now, so we could do this right. Donald Trump said dead on arrival,” she said. “He didn’t have a plan and by the way, all of the funding sources for public schools, the tax base, has fallen off a cliff. So we’re not even talking about having what we had last year.”

“They are already sending out pink slips. We could be laying off a million teachers. The janitors, the lunch ladies, the school secretary, the counselor, the school nurse. We need all hands on deck if we have any chance of doing this safely,” she continued. “But that’s not what we’re hearing from Donald Trump. That he’s going to bully governors into prematurely opening unsafe schools. There is another option. Open them safely.”

She noted that restaurants and chains are getting money from the government while many are also opening at only 50 percent capacity to ensure health and safety — questioning why schools are not receiving the same treatment.

Watch above, via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!