WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — As many schools plan to allow kids back into the classroom later this summer, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey wants to know what congress can do to help.
“To ensure that these students can continue to be provided with a high-quality education,” Casey said.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey wants to know what congress can do to help, “To ensure that these students can continue to be provided with a high-quality education.”
Tennessee Education Commissioner, Dr. Penny Schwinn, and other experts told senators that schools will need more money to be sure students and teachers can safely return to school.
“The challenges we face are large. We must keep people safe and we must keep kids educated,” Schwinn said.
Schwinn says schools will need additional deep cleaning, as well as protective equipment including masks for their students and teachers.
Casey worries that some students, especially those with learning disabilities, will suffer because of the disruption caused by the virus.
“We have to bear in mind these inequities and these disparities,” Casey said.
Education Trust President John King says congress should help schools focus on those students.
“We’ve got to make sure that we make up for the lost time this spring and then we’ve got to have the resources for schools to provide additional intervention,” King said.
And even as the virus recedes, some schools will not open their doors for the next school year and students will need to continue online classes.
“Congress should allocate at least four billion dollars to the FCC’s e-rate program to provide hotspots and access to bandwidth,” King said.
The group says congress needs to help schools keep their promises to families, that their children will have access to safe, high-quality education.
