As schools start to reopen, there’s a lot of debate among school leaders, teachers and families about how to do so safely.
Some former federal officials shared their ideas about in-person schooling during the pandemic in a Atlantic magazine Op-Ed published in July, titled, “These 8 Basic Steps Will Let Us Reopen Schools.”
Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings contributed to the article. She’s currently president of the nonprofit Texas 2036. She told Texas Standard that reopening plans have to fit local needs.
“Every single city, every single community, every single school district really has its own hand to play,” she said.
Spellings said local officials need to tailor school reopenings to the needs of the local student population, the workforce and how much COVID-19 has affected their communities. In the article, Spellings and her coauthors talk about basic guidelines they think could help. But the bottom line, she said, is most schools need to reopen for some form of in-person instruction.