Gov. Inslee: Washington won’t be ‘bullied’ into reopening schools by Trump
Jul 9, 2020, 3:14 PM | Updated: Oct 7, 2024, 8:55 am
Gov. Jay Inslee. (TVW)
(TVW)
On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee addressed threats from the Trump administration to withhold federal funding from schools opting to not fully reopen in person this fall.
Return to school should be ‘part of a larger plan’ to reopen society
Inslee stated that he would not allow the President to “bully us into making decisions that aren’t best for Washington,” and that the state’s roadmap for bringing students back will align with the CDC’s own guidance.
“I want schools to open in a way that maximizes learning and safety,” he vowed.
Following a tweet from President Trump labeling the CDC guidance for reopening as too “tough,” the White House Coronavirus Task Force and Vice President Mike Pence announced that the CDC would issue new guidance for reopening schools soon.
CDC Head Dr. Robert Redfield later intimated that he would not be reversing his department’s initial standards and guidelines.
This comes during a larger push from President Trump to “put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools” this fall.
“We want to reopen the schools. Everybody wants it. The moms want it, the dads want it, the kids want it. It’s time to do it,” Trump said at a recent White House summit centered on education.
School districts to follow state’s reopening framework, adopt local plans
Gov. Inslee emphasized Thursday that the state will fight any attempts from the White House to force schools to reopen, intimating that his office is prepared to take the issue to court if needed.
That being so, he stressed that “decisions on Washington schools will remain with Washington state.”
Washington Sen. Patty Murray spoke to that Wednesday as well.
“We’ve got to ensure our students, families, and educators stay safe and that we give schools the resources they need to provide all students a quality education either in-person, through distance learning, or a hybrid of both — while following local public health guidance,” she said in a written news release.
