The two presidential nominees sparred briefly during Thursday鈥檚 presidential debate about what schools need and the extent to which they can open safely as the coronavirus continues to spread.
President Donald Trump said several times that he wants schools to reopen and downplayed the risk the virus poses to teachers as well as young people. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden stressed that schools need more resources, and mocked Trump鈥檚 comments that children transmit the virus to teachers at very low rates.
Both candidates largely stuck to their primary messages about schools and education during the pandemic. Biden鈥檚 campaign has called for additional funding to pay for personal protective equipment and other resources to help schools reopen safely and protect schools and their communities, as well as clear national guidelines to help local school officials. Meanwhile, , downplayed the risk the virus poses to children, and over the summer threatened to withhold federal aid from those that didn鈥檛 (although he lacks the power to do so).
The short exchange, prompted by a question from debate moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News, didn鈥檛 illuminate much about where the candidates stand on students, schools and teachers. That鈥檚 despite the fact that the virus has severely disrupted education and the lives of millions of school-age children and their families, and has triggered serious concerns about the long-term impact of closed or disrupted schools on students. Yet it was the most substantive discussion of K-12 education of any of the presidential debates and town halls with Biden and Trump.
鈥楴ot That Many of You Are Going to Die鈥�
Trump made the initial reference to schools early in the debate when he said, 鈥淲e have to open our schools.鈥� Yet it was Biden who honed in on education when he highlighted the steps the country must take to contain the virus and reopen the economy and society safely. He also highlighted the need for clear national guidelines.
鈥淭hey need a lot of money to open,鈥� Biden said of schools. 鈥淭hey need to deal with ventilation systems, smaller classes, more teachers, more pods. And [Trump has] refused to support that money, at least until now.鈥� (Biden repeated that call for more school relief later in the debate.)
Some things to keep in mind about that statement:
- It鈥檚 true that for schools holding in-person classes during the pandemic, class size is an important consideration. And amid concerns about how poor ventilation in schools could help spread the virus, a recent federal report estimated that . Yet it鈥檚 unclear what Biden meant when he linked the cost of pods鈥攚hich are essentially unofficial arrangements parents make for their children鈥檚 education and care鈥攖o additional costs schools face. In fact, parents and others organize them outside the control of local schools.
- As for Biden鈥檚 claim that Trump doesn鈥檛 support pandemic aid for schools: Trump did sign the CARES Act that included over $13 billion in aid for K-12 schools. And his administration has in general backed some sort of additional aid for schools. However, Trump鈥檚 White House has repeatedly lobbied for K-12 aid to be conditioned in some way on schools holding in-person classes, a position that鈥檚 been reflected in Senate GOP relief bills that have failed to cross the finish line. The Trump administration has also pushed for expanding school choice in relief packages.
In response, Trump brought up teachers in the context of his desire to open schools and the economy. 鈥淭he transmittal rate to the teachers is very small,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to open the schools. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.鈥� He also blamed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for Washington鈥檚 failure to pass a new coronavirus relief package in recent months. Much of the education community has been deeply frustrated with the inability of federal officials to reach a deal for more virus aid.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released pandemic guidelines for schools, including for schools holding in-person classes, based on local spread of the virus. Yet many education officials have questioned why the agency didn鈥檛 release clearer guidance much earlier in the pandemic. They鈥檝e also questioned the CDC鈥檚 general approach to schools during the pandemic.
Biden reacted by rattling off the need for more testing, contact tracing, and other resources. Then he addressed teachers directly and mocked Trump鈥檚 comments minimizing the risk the virus posed to them: 鈥淣ot that many of you are going to die, so don鈥檛 worry about it. Don鈥檛 worry about it. C鈥檓on.鈥�
Early data suggests that having students in school buildings . Yet how that data is collected, and the lack of a centralized operation tracking the link between schools and coronavirus cases, remains a concern for many. Since the start of the academic year, schools have struggled to keep tabs on coronavirus cases. And the debate over whether and when schools should hold in-person classes has gotten more intense in recent weeks amid concerns about student learning loss and emotional as well as material suffering.
While young children seem to be at a relatively low risk for getting severely sick or dying from the virus, older teachers and those with underlying conditions have worried about returning to the classroom. And figuring out which teachers can work from home and which must come into school buildings has challenged K-12 leaders. A brought by teachers and teachers鈥� unions over the summer challenging a push to reopen schools is a prominent example of that anxiety among teachers.
Here is Education Week鈥檚 memorial to educators who have died from the coronavirus.
Photo: President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)