Connecticut on track to reopen schools in the fall amid coronavirus pandemic, governor says
Gov. Ned Lamont said the state's school reopening plans will be 'based on metrics'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that the state remains on track to reopen schools this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, but said his administration is still several weeks away from having a full grasp on how many students will physically return to classrooms in the September.
“I know there’s been some hot rhetoric coming out of the White House, ‘if you don’t open we’re going to hold back your funding, don’t be a wimp,’” Lamont said Thursday, seemingly mocking President Trump. “We’re not listening to that.”
TRUMP SAYS 'VIRTUAL LEARNING' IS 'TERRIBLE,' THREATENS TO CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lamont was referring to the president's threats this week to cut federal funding for school districts should they remain closed during the fall due to surges in positive cases of the novel coronavirus in states across the country. Trump this week also vowed to put “pressure” on governors to ensure that schools reopen.
Meanwhile, Lamont stressed that his state’s school reopening plans would be “based on metrics, based on the trend lines, the science and numbers, to give [parents] confidence we can do this safely.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lamont said school superintendents are currently reviewing guidelines that were prepared by Connecticut’s Department of Education last month, which include the ability to shift between in-person learning and remote learning.
Those school districts have a deadline of July 24 to submit proposed learning plans for reopening.
“They’re going to come back to us in the next couple of weeks and say, ‘This is what works for us, this is where I can see we need some improvement, this is the financing we would need in order to do this safely,’” Lamont said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TRUMP, IN PUSH TO REOPEN SCHOOLS AMID CORONAVIRUS, VOWS 'PRESSURE' ON GOVERNORS
Lamont went on to stress the importance of in-person learning, but acknowledged that some children would not be returning to the classroom until after a vaccine against the novel coronavirus was released.
Lamont said that his administration expects to have a firm estimate on the number of students returning for in-person learning in “two to three weeks.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, Trump has slammed remote learning as “terrible,” but nevertheless, some states and cities, like New York City, have begun rolling out their back-to-school proposals for the 2020-2021 school year, which would include "blended" learning. Should the plan be approved for New York City, students will be in the classroom no more than three days a week for in-person learning, and would be at home for the remainder of the week for remote learning.