SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, DFL Party leaders, educators, and Minnesota parents hosted a call speaking out against Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s chaotic approach to school reopening, and the major challenges it has created for Minnesota’s families. Featured on the call were DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin, Education Minnesota President Denise Specht, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (46A), State Senator Jason Isaacson (42), and Saint Louis Park resident Bethany Penna.
Excerpts from the call
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin: “Seven months into this crisis, Donald Trump still does not have a plan to address COVID-19, and he has no real plan to allow kids and teachers to return to school safely. As a parent of two teenagers in District 196, I’m concerned about the complete disregard the Trump administration has had on reopening schools safely. Trump’s failure to lead is the very reason that many schools can’t reopen safely. Trump continues to ignore and contradict medical experts, downplay the threat, and claim that COVID will miraculously disappear. Health experts, educators, and parents oppose Trump’s demand to unsafely reopen schools and his threat to cut funding to those that don’t reopen. Dr. Fauci has directly contradicted Trump saying that schools in coronavirus hotspots should not reopen in person, yet Donald Trump and his administration continue to ignore the advice of these experts. Trump continues to falsely claim that children are virtually immune and will not spread the virus even as students across America get sick and have to quarantine.”
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