Debate Heats Up Over When, How to Reopen Schools for the Fall

In the latest move from the Trump administration to push for states to reopen schools this fall, Vice President Pence couched guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to safely reopen schools, saying it shouldn't be used as a "barrier" to students returning to classrooms.

Speaking to reporters during a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the Department of Education on Wednesday afternoon, Pence stressed that states and local governments should "tailor their plans" to enable to students to return to in-person instruction.

"None of...

President Donald Trump’s push to reopen America’s schools is about more than children’s education. It’s about the economy. And it’s about his reelection.

Because for Trump and his team, the issues are interlinked.

With children out of the house, they argue, parents can more easily return to work and juice the economy — something even the president’s allies consider a necessity for Trump to win reelection. And with Trump’s sagging poll numbers against presumptive 2020 rival Joe Biden, aides also hope the campaign for in-person schooling will play well with...