LATER IN THE PROGRAM.
MARK MEREDITH REPORTING FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE.
MARK, THANKS.
JOINING US NOW, SECRETARY OF
EDUCATION BETSY DeVOS.
SECRETARY, YOU SAY THAT THERE
SHOULD BE EXCEPTIONS IN
HOT SPOTS AROUND THE COUNTRY BUT
THAT THE RULE, THE GENERAL RULE
SHOULD BE THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD BE
FULLY OPERATIONAL AND FULLY OPEN
IN THE FALL.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT FULLY OPEN, DOES THAT
MEAN IN PERSON, FIVE DAYS A WEEK
WEEK?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL,
CHRIS, WE KNOW THAT FOR KIDS,
GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL AND
GETTING BACK TO LEARNING,
GETTING BACK WITH THEIR PEERS,
WITH THEIR TEACHERS, IS REALLY
IMPERATIVE AND FULLY OPERATIONAL
AND FULLY FUNCTIONING MEANS THAT
KIDS CAN BE BACK THERE AND IF
FOUR FAMILIES THAT NEED THEIR
KIDS IN SCHOOL IN PERSON FIVE
DAYS A WEEK, THAT HAS TO BE AN
OPTION, SO THE POINT NEEDS TO BE
HOW DO KIDS GET BACK TO LEARNING
IN THE FALL FULL-TIME AND HOW DO
WE ENSURE THAT THEY GET A FULL
YEAR PLUS OF LEARNING?
THEY’VE FALLEN BEHIND THIS
SPRING, WE NEED TO ENSURE THEIR
BACK IN A CLASSROOM SITUATION
WHEREVER POSSIBLE AND WHENEVER
POSSIBLE AND FULLY FUNCTIONING,
FULLY LEARNING.
>> Chris: SINCE
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND YOU STARTED
CALLING -- YOU MAY REALLY
INCREASE THE PUSH THIS WEEK FOR
FULL SCHOOL REOPENING’S, THERE
HAS BEEN SHARP PUSHBACK FROM
GOVERNORS AND MAYORS AND
TEACHERS UNIONS.
HERE IS SOME OF THAT.
>> IF ANYBODY SAT HERE TODAY AND
TOLD YOU THAT THEY COULD REOPEN
THE SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER, THAT
WOULD BE RECKLESS AND NEGLIGENT
OF THAT PERSON.
>> I DOUBLE DOG DARE
DONALD TRUMP TO SIT IN A CLASS
OF 39 SIXTH-GRADERS AND BREED
THAT AIR WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION
FOR HOW WE ARE GOING TO BRING
OUR KIDS BACK SAFELY.
>> Chris: RECKLESS AND
NEGLIGENT.
SECRETARY, HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL,
CHRIS, THERE’S NOTHING IN THE
DATA THAT SUGGESTS THAT KIDS
BEING IN SCHOOL IS IN ANY WAY
DANGEROUS.
WE KNOW THAT CHILDREN CONTRACT
AND HAVE THE VIRUS AT FAR LOWER
INCIDENCE THAN ANY OTHER PART OF
THE POPULATION AND WE KNOW THAT
OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
HAVE REOPENED THEIR SCHOOLS AND
HAVE DONE SO SUCCESSFULLY AND
SAFELY KIDS THERE ARE GOING BACK
TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY SO THAT HAS
GOT TO BE THE POSTURE HERE.
PARENTS ARE EXPECTING THAT THIS
FALL THEIR KIDS ARE GOING TO
HAVE A FULL-TIME EXPERIENCE WITH
THEIR LEARNING AND WE NEED TO
FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT PROMISE.
>> Chris: ALL ALL RIGHT, LET’S
PICK UP ON THIS WHOLE ISSUE AND
I WANT TO GET TO THE OTHER
COUNTRIES AND WHAT THE
EXPERIENCE IS THERE IN A MOMENT,
BUT THIS WEEK THE PRESIDENT
CALLED OUT THE CDC GUIDANCE THAT
HAS BEEN ISSUED ABOUT REOPENING
SCHOOLS.
HE PUT THIS TWEET -- I WANT TO
PUT THE TWEET UP.
HE CALLED THE GUIDANCE BY THE
CDC ON REOPENING SCHOOLS "VERY
TOUGH AND EXPENSIVE AND VERY
IMPRACTICABLE TO IMPRACTICAL."
LET’S GO THROUGH SPECIFICALLY
WITH THE CDC IS CALLING FOR.
THEY SAY WASH HER HANDS
REGULARLY, STAY 6 FEET APART AND
WEAR A MASK.
IS THAT TOUGH, EXPENSIVE, AND
IMPRACTICAL, SECRETARY?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL,
THESE SEEM TO BE MEASURES THAT
WE ARE TAKING PRETTY MUCH
EVERYWHERE ELSE IN LIFE AND THEY
ARE COMMON SENSE APPROACHES AND
AS DR. REDFIELD HAS NOTED, THE
GUIDELINES ARE ALSO THAT,
GUIDELINES.
THERE MEANT TO BE HELPFUL IN A
POSTURE OF HOW YOU ACTUALLY DO
THINGS AND HOW YOU ACTUALLY MOVE
AHEAD AND ENSURE THAT KIDS CAN
GET BACK INTO SCHOOL.
AND AS HE’S ALSO NOTED, THE CDC
NEVER RECOMMENDED THAT SCHOOLS
CLOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE
ORIENTED AROUND HOW DO WE DO
THIS, NOT IF WE DO.
IT’S NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT’S A
MATTER OF HOW WE REOPEN SCHOOLS
AND HOW KIDS GET BACK TO
LEARNING FULL-TIME.
>> Chris: BUT SECRETARY, I
WANT TO GET TO THIS ISSUE
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES SAID THAT THE CDC
GUIDELINES WERE TOUGH, EXPENSIVE
AND IMPRACTICAL.
I WANT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE
OTHER CDC GUIDANCE.
THEY TALKED ABOUT PUTTING UP
SHIELDING IN PLACES WHERE 6 FEET
OF DISTANCE IS NOT POSSIBLE.
PLASTIC SHIELDING.
THEY TALKED ABOUT STAGGERED
DROP-OFFS AND PICKUPS.
IS THAT TOUGH, EXPENSIVE, AND
IMPRACTICAL?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL
AGAIN, ALL OF THE GUIDELINES ARE
MEANT TO BE HELPFUL, TO HELP
LOCAL EDUCATION LEADERS DECIDE
AND WORK ON HOW THEY ARE GOING
TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY NEED TO
DO, AND THAT IS GETTING KIDS
BACK IN SCHOOL BASED ON THEIR
SITUATION AND THEIR REALITIES.
WE KNOW THAT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY LOOK VERY DIFFERENT AND
THAT THERE’S NOT GOING TO BE A
ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH TO
EVERYTHING, BUT THE KEY IS,
THERE HAS TO BE A POSTURE OF
DOING SOMETHING, OF ACTION, OF
GETTING THINGS GOING, PUTTING A
PLAN TOGETHER FOR YOUR SPECIFIC
SCHOOL, FOR YOUR SPECIFIC
DISTRICT OR FOR YOUR CLASSROOM
THAT ENSURES THAT KIDS ARE GOING
TO START LEARNING AGAIN THIS
FALL.
>> Chris: I THINK WE ALL AGREE
THAT KIDS NEED TO LEARN AND TO
THE DEGREE POSSIBLE WE WANT TO
GET THEM BACK TO SCHOOL, THE
QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU BALANCE
SAFETY AND LEARNING?
YOU HAVE CITED THE AMERICAN
ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS AND A
REPORT THAT THEY ISSUED WHICH
SAID INDEED THAT STUDENTS DO
NEED TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL AND
THAT THERE ARE REAL COSTS TO THE
STUDENTS IN TERMS OF NOT GETTING
BACK TO THE SCHOOL, BUT THAT
ASSOCIATION ISSUED A NEW REPORT
ON FRIDAY ALONG WITH THE
TEACHERS UNION AND I WANT TO PUT
UP WHAT THEY SAID THERE.
THEY SAID "SCIENCE SHOULD DRIVE
DECISION-MAKING ON SAFELY
REOPENING SCHOOLS.
PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES MUST MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON
EVIDENCE, NOT POLITICS."
THEY SAY LEAVE IT TO THE HEALTH
EXPERTS TO SAY WHEN SCHOOLS
SHOULD REOPEN IN VARIOUS
LOCALITIES.
>> Secretary DeVos: I’M GLAD
YOU CITED THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
OF PEDIATRICS BECAUSE THEY ALSO
HAVE NOTED THAT THIS WHOLE
QUESTION OF SCHOOL AND GOING
BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL IS
ONE OF HEALTH FOR STUDENTS.
AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE MEASURES
FOR STUDENT HEALTH.
WE KNOW AND AS SECRETARY AZAR
SAID, THIS IS A QUESTION OF
HEALTH VERSUS HEALTH, NOT HEALTH
VERSUS SOMETHING ELSE.
WE KNOW THE KIDS ARE SUFFERING
MENTALLY WITH MANY MENTAL
ISSUES.
WE KNOW THAT KIDS ARE SUFFERING
WITH EMOTIONAL LEARNING ISSUES.
KNOW THAT KIDS FROM VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS AND HOMES HAVE BEEN
SUFFERING BY NOT BEING IN SCHOOL
AND BY NOT CONTINUING THEIR
LEARNING.
ALL OF THOSE ARE MEASURES THAT
HAVE TO BE WEIGHED ALONG WITH
THE RISK OF A VIRUS AND WE KNOW
AGAIN FROM THE DATA THAT KIDS
DON’T GET THIS VIRUS THE SAME
WAY ADULTS DO AND SO AGAIN --
>> Chris: DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW
THEY SPREAD THE VIRUS BECAUSE
I’VE BEEN THE SCIENCE FAIR ISN’T
SO CLEAR, SECRETARY.
HOW THEY SPREAD THE VIRUS
CONCEIVABLY TO THE PARENTS,
GRANDPARENTS TO TEACHERS IN THE
SCHOOL, CUSTODIANS AND THE
SCHOOL, DO WE KNOW THAT?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL THAT
IS SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY
CONTINUING TO BE LOOKED AT AND
STUDIED AND AGAIN, THERE’S A LOT
OF DATA THAT SUGGESTS THAT KIDS
ARE NOT SPREADERS, BUT THE POINT
IS THAT KIDS HAVE GOT TO GET
BACK TO SCHOOL AND WE CAN DO
THAT SAFELY AND EVERY COMMUNITY,
EVERY SCHOOL, CAN LOOK AT WHAT
THEIR ACTUAL PHYSICAL
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE AND FIGURE OUT
WAYS TO DO THIS SAFELY.
WE ARE DOING IT AND MANY OTHER
AREAS OF LIFE.
IF WE CAN GET BACK IN OTHER
AREAS OF LIFE, WE CERTAINLY NEED
TO GET BACK TO SCHOOLS.
KIDS CANNOT AFFORD TO NOT
CONTINUE LEARNING.
OUR NATION CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE
KIDS NOT LEARNING AND PREPARING
FOR THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE IT’S OUR FUTURE.
>> Chris: WE HAVE FOUND THE
COSTS OF GETTING BACK TO REGULAR
LIFE.
WE, IN A LOT OF STATES,
PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH, THE
SOUTHWEST, WE REOPEN THE BARS WE
REOPEN RESTAURANTS, WE REOPENED
GYMS AND WE’VE SEEN A SPIKE IN
CASES THAT IS ALMOST DOUBLED
WHAT WE HAD IN THE HEIGHT OF THE
SPRING, SO IT’S NOT LIKE
REOPENING IS AN ANSWER.
IN MANY CASES IT CREATES NEW
PROBLEMS.
YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT
OTHER COUNTRIES, YOU AND THE
PRESIDENT HAVE BOTH SAID, WELL,
OTHER COUNTRIES ARE REOPENING,
SO LET’S LOOK AT THE STATISTICS
THERE IF WE CAN.
LET’S PUT THEM UP ON THE SCREEN.
GERMANY REPORTED 378 NEW CASES
ON FRIDAY.
DENMARK, 30, NORWAY, 11.
MEANWHILE, THE U.S. REPORTED
68,226 NEW CASES ON FRIDAY.
QUESTION, IS IT REALLY FAIR, IS
IT REASONABLE TO COMPARE THE
SITUATION IN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
20 NEW CASES IN A DAY WITH A
COUNTRY THAT HAS 68,000 NEW
CASES AND IN A DAY?
>> Secretary DeVos: WELL, WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS AND
OTHER COUNTRIES EXPERIENCES WITH
REOPENING SCHOOLS.
AND IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE VERY
SUCCESSFUL, KIDS HAVE GONE BACK
TO LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND
HAVE DONE SO SAFELY --
>> Chris: BUT SCHOOLS HAPPEN
IN AN ENVIRONMENT.
IF THERE’S 30 CASES IN A
STATE -- IN A COUNTRY, THAT’S
VERY DIFFERENT THAN A PLACE
WHERE IT’S OUT OF CONTROL AND
THERE ARE 70,000 NEW CASES IN A
DAY.
>> Secretary DeVos: AND WE ARE
NOT TALKING ABOUT PLACES WHERE
IT’S "OUT OF CONTROL."
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD,
NOT THE EXCEPTION.
AND WHERE THERE ARE HOT SPOTS IN
THE FUTURE, IN THE FALL, OF
COURSE THAT HAS TO BE DEALT WITH
DIFFERENTLY AND I WOULD
REFERENCE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY,
WHICH HAS A VERY ROBUST
CONTINUITY OF LEARNING PLAN THAT
WAS PUT INTO PLACE IN
ANTICIPATION OF HURRICANES, BUT
IT’S VERY APPROPRIATE HERE.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS SAID IN
THE FALL PARENTS AND STUDENTS
NEED TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON A
FIVE DAY A WEEK, IN PERSON
SCHOOL SITUATION.
AND WHERE THOSE PARENTS OR WHERE
THAT SITUATION SUGGESTS
SOMETHING ELSE FOR A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME, THERE HAS TO BE
PLANS TO HAVE LEARNING CONTINUE
100% OF THE TIME, FULL-TIME IN A
DIFFERENT SETTING.
SO MIAMI-DADE --
>> Chris: I HAVE ONE LAST --
>> Secretary DeVos: STUDENTS
TO CONTINUE TO LEARN.
BUT WHAT I HAVE ONE LAST
QUESTION, SECRETARY, BECAUSE
BOTH YOU AND THE PRESIDENT HAVE
THREATENED TO CUT OFF FUNDING
FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT DON’T
OPEN FULLY IN THE FALL.
HERE YOU ARE.
SPEAK OF THE SCHOOLS AREN’T
GOING TO REOPEN AGAIN.
BREAKING THAT PROMISE AND SO WHY
SHOULD THEY RECEIVE FUNDS FOR
SOMETHING THEY’RE NOT GOING TO
DO?
>> Chris: AND PRESIDENT TRUMP
TWEETED FRIDAY, SCHOOLS MUST BE
OPEN IN THE FALL.
IF NOT OPEN, WHY WOULD THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVE FUNDING?
IT WON’T.
IF TWO QUICK QUESTIONS AND I
NEED A QUICK ANSWER IF I CAN
FROM YOU, SECRETARY.
ONE, UNDER WHAT AUTHORITY ARE
YOU IN THE PRESIDENT GOING TO
UNILATERALLY CUT OFF FUNDING,
FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED
FROM CONGRESS AND MOST OF THE
MONEY GOES TO DISADVANTAGED
STUDENTS OR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES, AND SECONDLY,
ISN’T CUTTING OFF FUNDING
EXACTLY THE WRONG ANSWER?
DON’T YOU WANT TO SPEND MORE
MONEY TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER,
WHETHER WITH PLASTIC SHIELDS OR
HEALTH CHECKS, VARIOUS OTHER
SYSTEMS -- DOESN’T IT MAKE MORE
SENSE TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR
SCHOOLS WHERE IT’S UNSAFE RATHER
THAN CUT OFF FUNDING?
>> Secretary DeVos: LOOK,
AMERICAN INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION
IS A PROMISE TO STUDENTS AND
THEIR FAMILIES.
IF SCHOOLS AREN’T GOING TO
REOPEN AND NOT FULFILL THAT
PROMISE, THEY SHOULDN’T GET THE
FUNDS.
AND GIVE IT TO THE FAMILIES TO
DECIDE TO GO TO A SCHOOL THAT IS
GOING TO NEED THAT PROMISE.
>> Chris: YOU CAN DO THAT.
I KNOW YOU -- VOUCHERS, I KNOW
YOU SUPPORT VOUCHERS, AND THAT’S
A REASONABLE ARGUMENT, BUT YOU
CAN’T DO THAT UNILATERALLY, YOU
HAVE TO DO THAT THROUGH
CONGRESS.
>> Secretary DeVos: WHAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS
BECAUSE IT’S A PROMISE TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO STUDENTS AND
THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT PROMISE IS
FOLLOWED THROUGH ON.
>> Chris: SECRETARY DeVOS,