White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a Thursday press briefing that “science should not stand in the way of” schools fully reopening for the upcoming academic year, later blasting coverage of her comments as a “case study in media bias.”
Asked about President Donald Trump’s message to parents as some schools opt to go fully online in the coming weeks, McEnany said “the president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open.”
“And I was just in the Oval talking to him about that,” she said. “When he says open, he means open in full, kids being able to attend each and every day in their school. The science should not stand in the way of this.”
Like all past press secretaries before her, McNinny blamed the press for her own comments:
Wing Nut Word, aka—the REAL Fake News, Trump administration, and the MAGAt Cult actually believe that it is safe to reopen our schools based on their interpretation on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued guidance that said school districts should try to get students back to campuses this fall for their health.
But the initial statement never was an endorsement of the call by President Trump for all schools to fully reopen — and the organization has now attempted to directly distance itself from the administration’s belligerent stance on reopening.
These are the parts the Trump administration manipulated and used to justify reopening our schools:
In late June, the AAP issued what it called “Covid-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry,” in which it said in part:Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being and provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits. Beyond supporting the educational development of children and adolescents, schools play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity.
With the above principles in mind, the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020.
The conveniently leave out AAP President Sally Goza‘s recommendations who spoke at the White House:
“Returning to school must be done safely. Reopening schools in a way that maximizes safety, learning, and the well-being of children will clearly require new investments in our schools. We urge you to ensure that schools receive the resources necessary so that funding does not stand in the way of keeping our children safe or present at school.”
As opposed to guaranteeing the necessary funding and resources to our schools so they can reopen safely, Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos threatened to cut off their funding if they do not reopen fully.
