White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reaffirmed Monday that schools 'should be open' across the country – after Chicago scho...
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reaffirmed Monday that schools 'should be open' across the country – after Chicago schools remained closed amid a standoff over covid testing and a union push for a return to remote teaching.
But Psaki declined to push at the city's powerful teacher's union when asked whether President Joe Biden would use the 'bully pulpit' of his office to pressure its members.
'The President's view is that school should be open across the country and more than 95% are, across the country, that the mental health impact on kids of not having schools open is is very harsh and hard and he does not want to see schools closed across the country.' Psaki said Monday, a day that school officials ordered schools closed for their fourth consecutive day in Chicago.
'So that there's no secret about that. That continues to be what he states. That's why he fought for funding, and we will continue to be in touch with local leaders in Chicago to work to get their schools open,' she said.
'The President's view is that school should be open across the country,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. She declined to condemn the Chicago Teachers Union when asked if President Biden would use the 'bully pulpit' on the issue
She said the administration would 'continue to be in touch with local leaders in Chicago.'
'We are in touch regularly' with the teacher's union, she said, but declined to offer more details.
A reporter asked Psaki whether President Biden would use the bully pulpit to try to get kids back in the classroom.
'I would note the President has been very clear as we we have been clear, we err on the side of schools being open,' she responded, without condemning the stance of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union.
'That is why he advocated for funding in the American rescue plan' to fund school safety improvements, she said. 'And we will continue to convey that clearly because he believes the mental health impact on kids could be dire. And it is imperative that kids are in the classroom. More than 95% of schools across the country are doing exactly that. And we're hopeful that will continue to increase,' she added.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has called the school closures 'unlawful'
People leave a free PCR & RAPID COVID-19 testing site in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has clashed with teachers' union boss Jesse Sharkey over the school closures, which she called 'unlawful.' She has called remote learning 'untenable' and cited the impact on single parents.
The union cited a spike in infections after the winter break, and is pushing for remote learning in districts with high infection rates.
The union wants to be able to switch to remote learning if a quarter of staff, 30 per cent of elementary school kids, or a quarter of high school students test positive for the virus.
The 350,000-student district is nation's third largest.
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