Trump administration to ‘put pressure on governors’ to reopen schools in the fall [Video]

• President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that his administration will “put pressure” on governors to make sure that public schools reopen in the fall.
• First lady Melania Trump also highlighted the schools’ role in addressing children’s educational and emotional needs.
• The president added that once states and schools reopen, they should remain open.

President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that public schools will reopen in the fall, and that his administration will be “putting a lot of pressure” on governors to do so.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump stated, “We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open. It’s very important.”

“Everybody wants it. The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It’s time to do it,” the president added.

He then praised his administration for their handling of the coronavirus crisis.

He especially mentioned Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced earlier in the day that the schools there will reopen in the fall, and expressed his hope that other states will follow suit.

First lady Melania Trump also delivered her own remarks, which highlighted children’s educational and emotional needs.

She stated, “Many challenges for children and families can be just as invisible as the virus, and just as dangerous when children are out of school,” she said.

The first lady said, “They are missing more than just time in the classroom, they are missing the laughter of the friends, learning from those teachers and the joy of recess and play.”

She pointed out that the current situation is worse “for children with disabilities, without access to technology or homes that are not a safe place.”

She then advised schools, teachers, and parents to educate children “about the importance of CDC guidelines and to implement them when appropriate.”

“Children’s mental health and social development must be as much of a priority as physical health,” she emphasized.

Meanwhile, business and conservative groups stressed the importance of getting parents back to work and reviving the US economy.

The American Enterprise Institute said, “Schools connect stu­dents with peers and mentors, channel youthful energy into productive pursuits, teach essential academic skills and knowledge, and give overwhelmed parents room to breathe and work.”

Pence assured that the government will ensure safe reopenings and prioritize the children’s health.

Trump added that once states and schools reopen, they should remain open.

The president declared, “Now we’re open and we want to stay open and we will stay open. We’re not closing. We’ll put out the fires as they come out. I call them embers and fires and whatever you want to call them.”

Some governors had decided to roll back on reopening plans amid the increase in coronavirus cases.

But Trump insisted that the US is only leading the world in confirmed cases because of increased testing. He stated, “If we did half the testing we’d have far fewer cases.”

Source: New York Post