Biden promised that most schools up to eighth grade would be opened within 100 days. But this has turned out to not be so simple
One encouraging trend, meanwhile, is the decline in the infection rate. Sadly, the mortality rate remains high, with an average 3,000 deaths per day last week. But the number of cases and hospitalizations is in a nosedive. Only four states — South Dakota, Kansas, Hawaii, and Delaware — registered an increase in cases last week. Every other state saw cases decline. It seems the December peak is waning.
At the same time, America is still far from normal. An important element in returning to normalcy is reopening schools, which will allow parents to go back to work and breathe life into the economy. But Biden is finding himself in a tough spot opposite teachers’ unions on this very issue.
After assuming office, Biden promised that most schools up to eighth grade would be opened within 100 days. But this has turned out to not be so simple. For schools to reopen safely, a number of things have to happen, including reducing the number of students per class, increasing the number of teachers and staff, as well as protecting classrooms with air filters, plastic partitions, etc. All this will take a lot of money and time. There aren’t hundreds of thousands of extra teachers on standby, nor are there enough people ready for career retraining before the end of the pandemic.
The teachers’ unions have let Biden know that they won’t compromise on their safety and will go on strike if necessary, and tensions have escalated between teachers’ unions and a number of local authorities on this issue. For Biden, known as a “union man,” this presents a serious political problem. Should he support teachers or parents? White House spokesperson Jen Psaki dodged the question last week by saying that she understood teachers’ concerns and that there’s a teacher in every family, so we’re all ultimately in the same boat.
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